Sideritis leucantha, Cav.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1972, Flora Europaea. Volume 3. Diapensiacea to Myoporaceae, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press : 141-142

17. S. leucantha Cav. , Icon. Descr. 4: 2 (1797).

Grey- or whitetomentose perennial up to 30 cm. Leaves 7-15 x 2-6 mm, linear to obovate, entire to coarsely toothed or shallowly lobed. Verticillasters 3—12(— 14), 2- to 6-flowered, distant. Lower bracts 4-1 0 x 6 -8 mm, about equalling the calyx, cordate-lanceolate to suborbicular, incise-dentate. Calyx 4-9 mm, with a ring of hairs inside; teeth green, pubescent to villous. Corolla 7-10 mm, white, very rarely pale or deep yellow, sometimes with dark brown or purplish markings inside. Dry places; calcicole. • S.E. Spain, extending locally westwards to Malaga. Hs.

A variable species which has been divided into a series of variants from S. Spain (mainly in the coastal provinces) and from which S. pusilla (Lange) Pau , Bull. Acad. Int. Géogr. Bot. (Le Mans') 16 (Mém.)\ 77 (1906), from S. Spain (provs. Almeria, Granada, Malaga) has been segregated. The latter differs mainly in having purplish calyx-teeth which are completely covered by villous hairs. Much further study of this complex is required.