PHLOMIS LANATA

Family:- LABIATAE

Common Names:- None

Synonyms:- Phlomis microphylla

Meaning:- Phlomis (Gr) Flame, (the hairy leaves were used as lamp wicks).
                 Lanata (L) Woolly.
                
General description:- Hairy shrub.

Stem:- Up to 55 cm. Eglandular.

Leaves:- Lower 1·5-2·8 cm, broadly elliptical, oblong, obovate or suborbicular,
wedge-shaped (cuneate) to rounded at the base, with small rounded teeth.
(crenulate), leathery (coriaceous), with long dense curly interwoven star-shaped,
matted woolly hairs (stellate-lanate) on both surfaces; stalk (petiole) up to 1 cm.
Floral leaves almost stalkless (subsessile), suborbicular, obtuse.

Flowers:- Whorls (verticillasters) 2- to 10-flowered. Bracteoles 6-10 x 3-5·5 mm,
broadly elliptical, oblanceolate or obovate, ending abruptly in a sharp point
(mucronate), straight at apex, stellate-lanate. Calyx 10-12 mm, covered with short,
dense, star-shaped, matted hairs (stellate-tomentose); teeth 0·5-1 mm, awl-shaped
(subulate). Corolla 20-23 mm yellow.

Fruit:- Nutlets hairy.

Key features:-
1) Bracteoles elliptic-lanceolate, oblanceolate, obovate or ovate, straight at apex.
2) Shrub up to 55 cm
3) Lower leaves 1·5-2·8 cm, broadly elliptical, oblong, obovate or suborbicular.
4) Calyx-teeth 0·5-1 mm. straight at apex.

Habitat:- A common constituent of open dry shrubby vegetation on rocky lime-
stone slopes, also roadsides and olive groves. 0-1100(1700) m.

Distribution:- Cretan endemic. Widespread and common, but more-so in the east.

Flowering time:- Apr to mid-June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton                   

                      FAMILY AND GENUS DESCRIPTIONS

LABIATAE

General description:- Herbs or shrubs, often glandular and aromatic.

Leaves:- Usually simple, without stipules (exstipulate), opposite.

Flowers:- Irregular having only one plane of sym­metry (zygomorphic), usually in
contracted and modified cymes in the axils of opposite bracts or floral leaves,
forming pseudowhorls (verticillasters), which in turn are arranged in simple or
compound spike-like, cymose, corymbose, paniculate or capitate inflorescences;
rarely in true cymes. Bracts leaf-like, or much reduced or modified (usually called
floral leaves when conspicuous). Bracteoles usually small, sometimes absent.
Calyx usually 4- or 5-lobed, often 2-lipped with the upper lip 3-toothed and the lower
2-toothed. Corolla with united petals (sympetalous); limb usually 5-lobed, often 2-
lipped with the upper lip 2-lobed and the lower lip 3-lobed, rarely all 5 lobes forming
the lower lip. Stamens usually 4, arranged in two pairs of unequal length,
(didynamous), rarely 2. Ovary superior, 2-carpellate (having only female organs) but
appearing equally 4-lobed when mature due to further partition; style single, usually
branched above, apparently rising from the base of the ovary (gynobasic).

Fruit:- Four 1-seeded nutlets.

PHLOMIS

General description:- Herbs or shrubs.

Flowers:- Verticillasters few- to many-flowered, crowded or distant. Calyx tubular,
5- to 10-veined, 5-toothed. Corolla 2-lipped; upper lip hooded, distinctly notched at
the apex (emarginate); lower lip spreading (patent), 3-lobed. Stamens included or
exserted; anther cells divergent. Style-branches unequal.

Fruit:- Nutlets trigonous, glabrous or pubescent.

Key features:-
1) Calyx-tube subglobose, bell-shaped, funnel-shaped (campanulate,
infundibuliform) or tubular.
2) Style-branches distinctly unequal.
3) Calyx-teeth equal; tube with 5-10 veins.

Most species occur on dry, rocky ground.

Status:-
Protection status (for threatened species): Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981.
SPECIES DESCRIPTION