Lamiaceae

T. praecox Opiz in Naturalientausch 6:40 (1824). Jalas in Ann. Bot. Fennici 17:322(1980).
Mat-forming, with long ± woody creeping branches, non-flowering or with a terminal inflorescence. Flowering stems mainly 1-5 cm, borne in rows, each with a basal cluster of small ± carnose keeled leaves. Cauline leaves usually becoming gradually larger towards the capitate inflorescence, lanceolate-obovate to ovate-elliptic or almost orbicular, ± obtuse, variously petiolate, ciliate to 1/3-1/2, ± firm; oil dots pale and sparse; lateral veins 2-3 pairs, pro-minent, ± joining to form a marginal thickening. Bracts similar to leaves but often suffused with purple and outer ones usually larger. Bracteoles 0.5-2.5 mm, often longer than pedicels. Calyx 3.3-5(-6) mm, ± purple, tube campanu-late, usually somewhat shorter than lips; lips equal; upper teeth 0.7-l.2(-1.7) mm, longer than broad, usually ciliate. Corolla mauve to purple, rarely whitish, 5-7 mm. Fl. 5-8. Stony and rocky mountain slopes, 1000-3600 m.
1. Basal leaves ± sessile; middle flowering stem leaves 4-6 x 1.7-3 mm, usually at least 2 x as long as broad; flowering stems hairy all round subsp. skorpilii
  2. Stems shortly hairy with reflexed to patent hairs; leaves glabrous, rarely weakly scabrous to shortly pilose, lanceolate-obovate to ovate-elliptic var. skorpilii
  2. Stems long-villous; leaves with scattered long villous hairs above, ovate-elliptic (c. 5.5 x 3mm) var. laniger
1. Basal leaves ± petiolate; middle flowering stem leaves (3.7-)6-12 x (2.1-)4- 9 mm, usually less than 2 x as long as broad, often ± orbicular; flowering stems hairy all round or along two opposite sides subsp. grossheimii
   3. Flowering stems hairy all round var. grossheimii ,,
   3. Flowering stems hairy along two opposite sides only var. medwedewii
var. grossheimii. Syn: T. grossheimii Ronniger in Feddes Rep. 31:149 (1932)! T. desjatovae Ronniger, op. cit. 31:150 (1932) p.p.! T. grossheimii Ronniger var. hemschinicus Ronniger, op. cit. 31:150 (1932)! T. kotschyanus Boiss. & Hohen. var. eriocalyx sensu Rech. fil. in Phyton (Horn) 5:292 (1954) p.p. non Ronniger in Náb. (1926); T. caucasicus Willd. ex Ronniger subsp. grossheimii (Ronniger) Jalas in Ann. Bot. Fennici 10:107 (1973)! Ic: Jalas, op. cit. 112(1973).
Type: [USSR, Georgia] Prov. Kutais, in jugo Adzharo-Imeretino, prope Bachmaro, 2200 m, [10 vii 1925], Grossheim s.n. (holo. W!).
N.E. & S.E. Anatolia. A7 Trabzon: Zigana Da., Akman et al. 6894! A8 Rize: mts. at Hemschin (Hemşin), 1931, Böhmer et al. s.n. (type of T. grossheimii var. hemschinicus)! Çoruh: mt. above Artvin, 1900 m, D. 29787! A9 Çoruh: Artvin to Mukiz, Melo Da., 2400 m, Anşin 2625! C9/10 Hakkari: Geliaschin (Tura Galila), 3000-3600 m, 1937, Ruttner & Kuntscher s.n. (fragment)!
Caucasia, N.W. Iran. Although differing from each other only in stem hairiness, var. grossheimii and var. medwedewii are broadly allopatric; see map by J. Jalas in Ann. Bot. Fennici 10:120(1973);