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

Small shrubs or subshrubs with simple hairs, often with spines in leaf-axils; leaves toothed, petiolate; inflorescence thyrsoid or racemoid; bracteoles long or short, spinose; calyx slightly zygomorphic to strongly 2-lipped, very widely funnel-shaped to flat in distal part, tubular, obconical or sometimes tumescent in basal part, 5-10(-11)-lobed, lobes spreading, broad and obscure or spine-tipped, tube annulate; corolla strongly 2-lipped, 4-lobed (1/3), white or yellow, posterior lip long, hooded, often bearded and densely pubescent outside; stamens not or only shortly exserted from corolla, thecae weakly distinct; stigma-lobes slightly unequal; nutlets 1-4, with apex truncate or rounded, with or without sessile glands.  About 15 spp., in rather dry often montane areas and semi-deserts, NE Cameroun to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, NE Egypt (Sinai), Iran, Central Asia to India.

Distribution

Native to:

20 Northern Africa
24 Northeast Tropical Africa
32 Middle Asia
34 Western Asia
35 Arabian Peninsula
40 Indian Subcontinent

Present, but doubtfully native in:

23 West-Central Tropical Africa

Synonyms

Dictilis Raf., Fl. Tellur. 3: 89 (1837).

Chartocalyx Regel, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 6: 367 (1879).

Harmsiella Briq. in H.G.A.Engler & K.A.E.Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam., Nachtr. 1: 291 (1897)., (1896).

Publication

Otostegia Benth., Lab. Gen. et Sp. 601 (1834); Sebald, Stuttgarter Beitr. Naturk. A 363: 1-84 (1973).

top

Image resource

© Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew