Photos: RBG, Kew slide collection

Subfamily

VI. Subfam. Lamioideae Harley (2003)

Subfam. Stachyoideae (Dumort.) Luerss. (1882); Briq. in Engl. & Prantl (1895) et auct. mult., p.p., typ. incl.

Subfam. Prasioideae (Benth.) Thomé (1889)

Subfam. Pogostemonoideae P.D. Cantino, Harley & Wagstaff in Harley & Reynolds (1992).

Description

Perennial or annual herbs with simple hairs; leaves ± palmately lobed or deeply serrate; inflorescence thyrsoid, cymes 4- to many-flowered; flowers sessile; bracts present; bracteoles present; calyx zygomorphic, often weakly so, 5-lobed, lobes subequal or unequal (3/2), spinose; corolla strongly 2-lipped, 4-lobed (1/3), pink, rarely white, tube annulate or rarely annulate, posterior lip long, hooded, anterior lip directed forward, rarely upwards; stamens not exserted from corolla; thecae distinct, divaricate; stigma-lobes subequal; nutlets trigonous, truncate at apex, glabrous or with eglandular hairs or sessile glands at apex.  2n = 18, 20.  About 25 spp. Stony places, forests and disturbed ground, Eurasia except Arctic and desert regions, L. japonicus Houtt. is widely distributed in tropics as a weed, some other species introduced elsewhere.

Distribution

Native to:

10 Northern Europe
11 Middle Europe
12 Southwestern Europe
13 Southeastern Europe
14 Eastern Europe
20 Northern Africa
30 Siberia
31 Russian Far East
32 Middle Asia
33 Caucasus
34 Western Asia
36 China
37 Mongolia
38 Eastern Asia
40 Indian Subcontinent
41 Indo-China

Introduced to:

28 Middle Atlantic Ocean
29 Western Indian Ocean
42 Malesia
50 Australia
51 New Zealand
60 Southwestern Pacific
61 South-Central Pacific
63 North-Central Pacific
71 Western Canada
72 Eastern Canada
73 Northwestern U.S.A.
74 North-Central U.S.A.
75 Northeastern U.S.A.
76 Southwestern U.S.A.
78 Southeastern U.S.A.
79 Mexico
80 Central America
81 Caribbean
82 Northern South America
83 Western South America
84 Brazil
85 Southern South America

Synonyms

Cardiaca Mill., Gard. Dict. Abr. ed. 4: s.p. (1754).

Marrubiastrum Ség., Pl. Veron. 3: 135 (1754).

Panzeria Moench, Methodus: 402 (1794).,non Panzera Cothen. (1790)

Publication

Leonurus L., Sp. Pl. 2: 584 (1753); Krestovskaja, Novost. Sist. Vysch. Rast. 26: 142-149 (1989) & 27: 139-144 (1990).

top

Species found in RBG Kew living collections

1970-991 Leonurus cardiaca L. N COKE  F 157 22 
1971-2127 Leonurus cardiaca L. N HLBG  F 111 08   :  111 SEED 
2008-909 Leonurus quinquelobatus N GEAG   157 01 

Image resource

© Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew