Lamiaceae

T. orientale L., Sp. Pl. 562(1753). Ic: Bot. Mag. 31: t. 1279(1810). Herbaceous perennial. Stems erect from a woody stock, 20-50 cm, glab-rous, puberulent or villous, hairs unicellular or multicellular. Leaves sub-sessile, ternately 2-3-pinnatisect into greenish linear lobes with revolute margins, glabrous or hairy. Inflorescence a thyrsoid panicle. Floral leaves dis-sected, shorter than the 1-3-flowered peduncles, pedicels longer than calyx. Calyx (3.5-)4-6(-7.5) mm, campanulate, teeth triangular-lanceolate, 1/3-2/3 as long as tube, straight-tipped. Corolla lilac-blue, usually 3 x calyx, occasionally glabrous; stamens about as long as lip. Fl. 6-9.
A very variable species, divided here into 3 varieties according to indumentum. For this reason only specimens seen are cited.
1. Plant glabrous or subglabrous (stem often puberulous below) var. glabrescens
1. Plant conspicuously hairy
2. Stem puberulent, hairs (unicellular) sometimes increasing in length in inflorescence var. puberulens
2. Main stem shaggy with long multicellular (sometimes sparse) and short unicellular hairs var. orientale
var. glabrescens Hausskn. ex Bornm. in Verh. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 48 :624 (1898). Syn: T. eginense Freyn in Bull. Herb. Boiss. ser. 2, 1:281 (1901); T. orientale L. var. subglabrum Freyn, op. cit. 282 (1901);T. eginense Freyn var. brevidens Freyn, op. cit. 282 (1901); T. orientale L. var. brachyodon Freyn, op. cit. 283 (1901);T. wanense Freyn, op. cit. 283 (1901). Fl 6-8. Open Pinus nigra forest, dry igneous or limestone slopes and steppe, 800-3000 m.
Syntypes: [Turkey A7 Gümüşane] Gümüschchane, 1894, Sintenis 6097 (WU); [B7 Sivas] Divriki (Divriği), 1893, Bornmüller 3514 (WU); [B7 Elaziğ] Egin (Kemaliye), 1890, Sintenis 2638 (WU!).
Mainly Inner Anatolia. A7 Gümüşane: Gümüşane to Bayburt, T. Baytop (ISTE 4747)! A8 Gümüşane: Bayburt, T. Baytop (ISTE 14346)! B2 Kütahya: 5 km S. of Tavşanli, 800 m, D. 36569! B3 Afyon: Boyat, Çukuralan, 1410 m, Vural 289! B4 Ankara: Beynam forest, 1000 m, Akman 437! B5 Niğde: d. Aksaray, Hasan Da., 1550 m, Düzenli 423. B6 Maraş: Kandil Da. above Çardak, 2300 m, D. 20274! B7 Erzincan: Keşiş Da. above Cimin, 2300 m, D. 31838! B8 Muş: nr Abdurrahma paşa bridge, 1250 m, 1966, Oğuz! B9 Bitlis: Nemrut Da., 3000 m, Tong 161! Van: nr Van, 1900-2200 m, Kronen-burg 8 (type of T. wanense). B10 Ağri: d. Doğubayazit, Ganikor, S. of Ararat, 1500 m, 8 viii 1966, Steiner! C4 Konya.: Alaca Da., 1500-2200 m, 19 viii 1972, Shmida & Luria! C9 Hakkari: Zap gorge, 1400 m, D. 45455! C10 Hakkari: Hakkari-Van/Yüksekova road junction, 1700 m, D. 44646!
Caucasia and Iran. Ir.-Tur. element. This variety can easily be confused with T. procerum Boiss. & Bl. which occurs in Lebanon and Palestine. The latter is a taller plant than T. orientale, having hairs (glandular or eglandular) only on its pedicels, calyx and corolla, the upper corolla lobes being acuminate. Turkish records of T. procerum (C6 Maraş: Berit Da., Hausskn.; C6 Adana: Osmaniye, Gavur Da., 1892, Sint.) probably refer to T. orientale var. glabrescens.
Distribution of species: Caucasia, Iran, Syria, Lebanon. Related to T. pruinosum.