Lamiaceae

S. candidissima Vahl, Enum. Pl 1:278 (1804).
Perennial herb. Stems 30-60(-90) cm, erect, branched above, pilose to lanate below with few sessile glands, densely pilose to glandular-papillose above. Leaves simple, oblong to broadly ovate, 2.5-10(-l4) x 1-9 cm, pubescent to densely pannose, subentire to erose, cordate to rounded; petiole 3-11 cm. Inflorescence paniculate, often yellowish-green; verticillasters 2-6-flowered, dis-tant. Bracts ovate-acuminate, 4-10 x 3-6 mm. Pedicels 2-4 mm. Calyx tubular-campanulate, 12-15 mm, to 18 mm and widening in fruit, densely pilose to glandular-papillose; upper lip with 3 closely connivent mucronate teeth. Cor-olla white or white with yellow lip, 22-27 mm; tube c. 12 mm, ventricose, squamulate; upper lip strongly falcate. Stamens B. Nutlets rounded trigonous, ovoid, c. 3 x 2.5 mm. 2n = 22, 24. Fl. 5-9.
1. Leaves ovate to broadly ovate, 5-10(-14) x 3-9 cm, often discolorous with a thin (to thick) indumentum, serrulate to erose, cordate; flowers white with a yellow lip subsp. candidissima
1. Leaves oblong to ovate, 2.5-11.5 x 1-6 cm, concolorous with a thick indu-mentum, serrulate to subentire, rounded to subcordate; flowers white throughout subsp. occidentalis
subsp. candidissima. Syn: S. candidissima Vahl var. cordifolia Náb. in Publ. Fac. Sci. Univ. Masaryk Brno 70:52, t. 4 f. 3 (1926). Ic: Jacq., Eclog. PL Rar. t. 16 (1811), as S. odorata Willd. Rocky limestone and shale slopes, bushy places, amongst Pinus, Quercus, Abies and Cedrus, fallow fields, 700-2000 m.
Type: 'Hab. in Armenia; ex Herb. Vaillantii' [Sclarea armena, foliisrotund-ioribus, candidiss., iso. P-Tourn. 1103, photo!].
Inner, mainly E. Anatolia. A4 Çankiri: nr Ilgaz, 1000 m, Bornm. 1929: 13509b! A5 Kastamonu: Tosya, Kaiseridere, Sint. 1892:4453! A6 Sivas: Serefiye Y. to Suşehri, 1650 m, Hub.-Mor. 13043! A7 Gümüşane: Gümüşane to Bayburt, 3 km S.E. of Gümüşane, 1220 m, Hub.-Mor. 15315! A8 Gümü-şane: N.E. of Bayburt, 1650 m, D. 31967! B5 Kayseri: Develi, D. 19170! B6 Maraş: Göksun to Elbistan, 27 km E. of Göksun, 1320 m, Hub.-Mor. 11864! B7 Erzincan: Keşiş Da. above Cimin, 1900 m, D. 31728! B8 Erzincan: Tercan to Aşkale, 23 km E. of Tercan, 1680 m, Hub.-Mor. 10767! B9 Bitlis: Kizvak Da., 9 km N.E. of Tatvan, 2000 m, Watson et al. 1314! C5 Niğde: Ulukişla to Niğde, 1420 m, Tuzlaci (ISTE 37506)! C6 Adiyaman: Besne to Adıyaman, 700 m, Tuzlaci (ISTE 40102)! C8 Mardin: 11 km from Gerçüş to Hasankeyf, 750 m, D. 43042! C9 Hakkari: Morinos Da. opposite Marunis, 1550 m, D. 45323! C10 Hakkari: 30 km from Başkale to Hakkari, 1900 m, D. 44677!
N. Iraq. Ir.-Tur. element. Generally a sturdier plant with larger flowers than subsp. occidentalis. However, anomalous or intermediate specimens are found within the ranges of both subspecies. In some regions such as Kasta-monu, Sivas, Malatya and Gümüşane, they appear to be more frequent. S. candidissima is at the centre of the species-group which includes the next four species. All except possibly S. vermifolia are closely related and hybridise where their ranges overlap (Hedge in Notes R.B.G. Edinb. 23:167-171, 1960).