Lamiaceae

S. brachyantha (Bordz.) Pobed. in Fl. URSS 21:660 (1954). Syn: S. modesta Boiss., Fl. Or. 4:621 (1879) p.p.;S. modesta Boiss. var. brachyantha Bordz. in Mem. Soc. Nat. Kiev 25:113 (1915). Ic: Fl. URSS 21: t. 15 f. 3 (1954). Figure 13.
Perennial herb. Stems 30-50 cm from a woody rootstock, erect, quadran-gular, sparsely arachnoid-pilose, eglandular above and below, often purplish-blue or violet above. Leaves simple, ovate to linear oblong, 5-12(-20) x 0.8-3.5(-ll) cm, rugulose, arachnoid-pilose, erose; petiole 2-8 cm. Inflorescence paniculate; verticillasters 2-8-flowered, distant. Bracts broadly ovate, acumin-ate, c. 12(-18) xl2(-20) mm. Pedicels 2-3 mm, erecto-patent. Calyx tubular campanulate, c. 8-10 mm (incl. mucros), to c. 13 mm in fruit, eglandular (rarely with small glandular papillae), sublanate, often violet; upper lip tri-dentate, median shorter, subulate. Corolla lilac to violet-blue, c. 12 mm; tube somewhat ventricose, subsquamulate; upper lip scarcely falcate. Stamens B. Nutlets rounded trigonous, ovoid, 4.5 x 3.5 mm. Fl. 5-6. Rocky igneous slopes, fallow fields, meadows, 1050-2800 m.
Type: [USSR, Soviet Armenia] provincia Eriwán: pagus Mastara inter montes Alagäs (Alagöz) et Bugutlu, vi 1875, G. Radde [195] (holo. LE, photo!).
E. Anatolia. A8 Erzurum: Ispir, vi 1853, Huet! A9 Kars: Kars, 30 vi 1912, Lonaczewski-Pietruniaka. B8 Erzurum: Tercan to Aşkale, 1850 m, D. 29321! B9 Ağri: 2 km S.W. of Hamur, Murat valley, 1680 m, D. 44084! Van: Çuh pass, Halanduran Da. and Güzeldere Tepe, 2800 m, Watson et al. 1485! C7 Urfa: d. Siverek, W. foot of Karacadağ, 1050 m, D. 28278!
Soviet Armenia. N.W. Iran. Ir.-Tur. element. Distinctive on account of the essentially eglandular indumentum throughout, the violet-blue tinged upper parts and the strongly subulate calyx teeth. Often grows in association with S. staminea and Nepeta betonicifolia C.A. Meyer.