Phlomis
grandiflora
H.S. Thompson
Ann. Bot. 19:441
(1905)
Synonyms:
P.
lunariaefolia sensu Boissier
P.
lunarifolia Bentham
Distribution
in the wild:
Greece and Turkey,
in Pinus halepensis (syn: brutia) forest, Quercus
scrub, maquis, limestone slopes, rocks at 600-1220 m.
Flowering
in the wild:May-August
grandiflora
means large-flowered.
Although
this does have very large showy flowers they are only produced
in profusion occasionally (usually following a very hot
previous summer) and on rather long ungainly stems. The
lack of flowering however allows the plant to become very
useful as a handsome foliage plant. It has large grey leaves
that tend to be folded upwards along the central vein. Very
old leaves loose their indumentum and become large and greenish.
Evergreen shrub to 2 m. adpressed
stellate hairy. Older leaves green above, new leaves grey
felted on upper surface, ovate to oblong, shortly cuneate,
rounded, truncate or cordate at base, entire or crenulate
at margin, 3-8 × 2-4 cm; petiole to 8 cm. Young grey leaves
folded along central vein. Floral leaves lanceolate, 6.5-8
× 3-3.5 cm, stalkless or with short petiole. White felted
stems with single (occasionally 2) whorls of many flowers.
Whorls to 10 cm across. Bracteoles numerous, broadly ovate
to ovate-lanceolate, acuminate. 12-18 × 3-10 mm, adpressed,
hairless above, sparsely stellate below. Calyx densely stellate
plus less numerous undivided hairs, 13-17 mm; teeth 2-3
mm held horizontally. Corolla 30-40 mm, yellow. Nutlets
hairless. Hardy to -15°C.
P.
‘Lloyd’s
Variety’. A
form of P. grandiflora H.S. Thompson
P.
‘Anatolica’
(P. anatolica
invalid) A
form of P. grandiflora H.S. Thompson
P.
grandiflora ‘Suleiman’ introduced by the author, but withdrawn
in the UK due to lack of distinguishing features.
P.
grandiflora
H.S. Thompson var.
grandiflora
Synonyms:
P.
lunariaefolia sensu Boissier
P. lunarifolia
Bentham
Lower
leaves rounded or truncate at the base.
Natural
hybrids:
P.
× muglensis Huber-Morath
Bauhinia
6(3):374 (1979)
(= P.
grandiflora H. S. Thompson × P. lycia D. Don)
Distribution:
Turkey
Differs
from P. grandiflora with 2 whorls, calyx teeth 1-2
mm long and bracteoles 2-5 mm wide.
Differs
from P. lycia with 2 whorls, wider leaves to 3 cm,
calyx to 15 mm, teeth to 2 mm and bracteoles to 5 mm wide.
P.
× mobullensis Huber-Morath
Bauhinia
6(3):373 (1979)
(=
P. bourgaei Boissier × P. grandiflora H. S. Thompson)
Distribution:
Turkey
Differs
from P. bourgaei in having bracteoles 2-3 mm wide
and no glandular hairs on the calyx teeth.
Differs
from P. grandiflora by having glandular hairs on
leaves and bracteoles 2-3 mm wide.
P.
grandiflora H.S. Thomps.var. fimbrilligera Huber-Morath
Bauhinia
1(20:107 (1958)
Synonym:P.
fimbrilligera Huber-Morath
Distribution
in the wild: Turkey
Found
nearer the sea some 200km south-east of the main P.
grandiflora area. Considered
a splendid and floriferous plant by Huber-Morath.
In
this variety the bracteoles are more strongly fringed with
hairs, and it has smaller, more closely and regularly crenate
leaf laminas, which with the exception of the upper leaves
on flowering stems, are always clearly cordate at the base.
