CLINOPODIUM GRAVEOLENS

Family and Genus:- See- LABIATAE

Common Name:-

Homotypic Synonyms: Acinos graveolens, Calamintha graveolens,

Melissa graveolens, Satureja graveolens, Thymus graveolens, Thymus

patavinus var. graveolens, Ziziphora graveolens.

Meaning:- Clinopodium (Gr) Bed-foot (for the knob shaped appearance of the

inflorescence.

Graveolens (L) Strong smelling.

General description:- Short, hairy annual, rarely a short-lived perennial.

Stems:-

1) 4-12 cm tall, single or moderately branched from the base, shortly crispate-

pubescent.

Leaves:-

1) Petiolate, the lower often purple.

2) Blade, ovate-rhombic, usually 4-8 mm wide, subacute, with 2-4 pairs of curved

lateral veins vanishing towards margin.

Flowers:-

1) Shorter than the leaf-like floral leaves, in aggregated cymes.

2) Calyx, curved and slightly gibbous, strongly 10-13-ribbed, with numerous long,

thin, patent eglandular hairs and sometimes short glandular hairs,

a) teeth, linear-lanceolate, ± spreading.

3) Corolla, 7-10 mm, pinkish- or bluish-purple.

Fruit:-

1) Nutlets, 4, 1-seeded.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Stony and gravelly places in open dry shrubby vegetation, deciduous oak

scrub, dry meadows and field margins. 0-1300 m.

Distribution:- Throughout Greece, but lacking in the north. - Widespread in the

Mediterranean region and SW Asia to Afghanistan. Limited distribution on Crete

confined mainly to the massisf, not common.

Flowering time:- Apr to early June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton & Fotis Samaritakis