Phlomis
lunariifolia
Smith
Fl. Graec.
Prodr. 1:414 (1809)
Synonym:P.
imbricata Boissier
Distribution
in the wild:
Cyprus, Turkey,
in Pinus halepensis (syn: brutia) woods, maquis,
rocky limestone slopes from sea level-640 m.
Flowering
in the wild:May-July
lunariifolia
means having crescent
shaped leaves and probably refers to the way the leaves
and floral leaves hang.
Often
found in the wild together with P. leucophracta
P.H. Davis, this plant is related to P. grandiflora
H.S. Thompson.
Evergreen shrub to 130 cm.
Leaves shortly stellate-hairy, greenish above, white-stellate
tomentose below, lower leaves ovate to lanceolate, shortly
cuneate, rounded or truncate at base, entire to crenate-serrate
at margin, 4-8 × 1-3 cm; petiole to 3 cm. Floral leaves
sessile or with a short petiole, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate.
One to two whorls per stem (6)12-28 flowered. Bracteoles
narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, prickly acuminate, 7-12
× 2-3 mm, sparsely stellate hairy to almost hairless, with
marginal stellate and rigid hairs. Calyx 12-18 mm, ± stellate-tomentose
above, hairless below; teeth subulate, 2-3 mm. Corolla yellow,
20-30 mm. Nutlets hairless. Hardy to -15°C
Natural
hybrids:
P.
× cilicica Huber-Morath
Bauhinia
1(2):113 (1958)
(= P.
lunarifolia Smith × P. monocephala P.H. Davis)
P.
× alanyense Huber-Morath
Bauhinia
1(2):111 (1958)
(= P.
leucophracta P.H. Davis × P. lunariifolia Smith)
Distribution:
Turkey
