Lamiaceae

S. microstegia Boiss. & Bal. in Boiss., Diagn. ser. 2(4): 17 (1859). Syn: S. verbascifolia Bieb. var. cana Boiss., Fl. Or. 4:619 (1879)! S. chnoodes Stapf in Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math.-Nat. Kl. 50:98 (1885)! Ic: J. Roy. Hort. Soc. 85(10): t. 140 (1960). Map 51.
Perennial herb with a woody rootstock. Stems few or several, erect, 20-100 cm, densely pilose-villous glandular, often eglandular lanate below. Leaves mostly basal, variable in size and shape, ovate to oblong, (5-)7-17(-20) x 3-8(-14) cm, white or grey lanate, obtusely lobed or irregularly serrate, sub-cordate; petiole 3-16(-20) cm. Inflorescence usually a widely spreading panicle, often yellowish-green. Verticillasters 4-6-flowered, usually distant: Bracts variable, broadly ovate, 9-17 x 8-14 mm. Pedicels 2-5 mm. Calyx ± campanu-late, 9-12 mm, to c. 11-14 mm in fruit, densely glandular with capitate glan-dular hairs and sessile glands; upper lip shortly tridentate, median tooth much shorter; lips ± equal. Corolla white, lip fading yellow, 17-30 mm; tube 5-8 mm, ventricose, squamulate; upper lip compressed, strongly falcate. Stamens B. Nutlets ovoid, c. 3 x 2.5 mm. 2n=16. Fl. 6-8. Rocky limestone and igneous slopes, screes, in Quercetum, Pinus woodland, fieldside, 970-3350 m (nr permanent snowbeds).
Lectotype designated here: [Turkey B5 Kayseri] in monte Alidagh prope Caesaream (Kayseri) Cappadociae sito, 1400 m, [9 viii 1856],Balansa [1083] (holo. G! iso. W!).
Mainly E. & S. Anatolia. A7 Sivas: 10 km E. of Suşehri, 1400 m, Spitzen-berger 83! A9 Kars: Kağizman, Turkewicz 627! B5 Kayseri: 5 km N.W. of Incesu, 1400 m, Sorger 77-43-22! B6 Maraş: d. Göksun, Binboğa Da., N.E. side of Isik Da., 1900 m, D. 20059! B7 Erzincan: Keşiş Da. above Cimin, 2700 m, D. 31743! B8 Erzurum: 14 km from Erzurum to Pasinler, 2000 m, D. 47452! B9 Ağri: Ağri to Horasan, 1900 m, Lamond 2556! C4 İçel: 23 km from Gülnar to Silifke, 970 m, Hub.-Mor. 9597! C5 Niğde: S. of Maden vil-lage, 2130 m, Darrah 413! C6 Adana: d. Osmaniye, Yağlipinar, S. of Yarpuz, 1500 m, Hub.-Mor. 15310! C7 Malatya: 74 km S.W. of Malatya, 1550 m, Sorger 71-45-26! C9 Hakkari: Hakkari to Kaval (Piyannis), 2500 m, D. 45395! C10 Hakkari: Sat Da., 2950 m, D. 45702!
Latakia, Lebanon. Ir.-Tur. element. Related to S. xanthocheila, S. atropat-ana and S. argentea (q.v.); also close to the Caucasian S. verbascifolia Bieb. which apparently always differs by its much thinner indumentum on all parts. S. microstegia varies considerably in the density of the leaf indumentum; the most lanate specimens are usually from the higher altitudes. Although in most cases there is little likelihood of confusion with S. argentea, despite the narrow morphological differences, some specimens from S. Anatolia (e.g. C4, C5) are close to the latter.