Stachys balansae, Boiss. & Kotschy

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 : 152-153

6. S. balansae Boiss. & Kotschy in Boiss., FI. Or. 4: 722 (1879)

(incl. S. heterodonta Zefirov ).

Erect, grey, patent- or crispate-hairy perennial 60-100 cm. Leaves 30-100 x 15-50 mm,

oblong-ovate, truncate or more or less cordate at base, crenatedentate, sparsely hairy above, tomentose beneath. Verticillasters many-flowered, mostly distant; pedicels 1-2 mm in flower. Calyx 8-9 mm; teeth unequal, the uppermost c. | as long as tube. Corolla c. 13 mm, pink, densely villous; upper lip entire. Meadows and wood-margins. Krym. Rs (K). (Caucasian region.) (7-16). S. germanica group. Erect, grey- or white-hairy perennials (10-)20-100(-120) cm. Leaves usually crenate or crenate-serrate. Verticillasters many-flowered, usually distant; flowers sessile or subsessile. Calyx 6-12 mm; teeth equal or unequal. Corolla 15-25 mm, usually pink or purple, densely hairy; upper lip entire or emarginate.

A taxonomically difficult group in need of revision. Species 8-15 are often difficult to distinguish from each other and some authors have considered them to be variants of a single species.

1 Stem with glandular hairs 7. alpina 1 Stem without glandular hairs

2 Most leaves ± cuneate at base

3Calyx-teeth recurved after flowering, usually glandular

12. thirkei 3Calyx-teeth not recurved, eglandular

4 Upper surface of leaves moderately densely hairy, the surface more or less visible beneath the indumentum

14. eretica 4 Upper surface of leaves densely sericeous-lanate, the surface completely obscured by the indumentum 15. byzantina 2 Most leaves truncate or cordate at base

5Calyx-teeth 5-7 mm, with an arista 1*5-3 mm 13. cassia 5Calyx-teeth 3-5 mm, with an arista less than l*5(-2) mm

6 Leaves green beneath 16. heraclea 6 Leaves grey-green to white beneath

7 Whole plant very densely white-tomentose or lanatetomentose; calyx-teeth all equal

8 Stem usually more than 30 cm; upper bracts shorter than flowers; bracteoles lanceolate 10. tournefortii 8 Stem 15—30 cm; upper bracts exceeding flowers; bracteoles subulate 11. sericophylia 7 At least the upper surface of the leaves grey-green and only moderately densely tomentose; upper 2 calyx-teeth usually longer than the lower 3

9 Calyx-teeth eglandular, not recurved in fruit 8. germanica 9 Calyx-teeth glandular, usually ± recurved in fruit

9. tymphaea