MICROMERIA JULIANA

Family and Genus:- See- LABIATAE

Common Names:- Julian Savory, Savory, Micromeria.

Homotypic Synonyms:- Clinopodium julianum, Sabbatia corymbosa,

Satureja juliana.

Meaning:- Micromeria (Gr) Small-parts, reference to the small flowers.

Juliana. Meaning unknown. Possibly for someone but who?

General description:- Dwarf hairy shrub.

Stems:-

1) 10-40 cm, many ascending to erect, slender, usually simple, patently or

retrorsely puberulent.

Leaves:-

1) Cauline, 3-8 mm, decussate, subsessile, puberulent, with ± revolute margins,

those on the main stems broadly lanceolate, usually with dwarf shoots of

smaller, ± linear leaves in their axils.

2) Floral leaves, linear-oblong.

Flower:-

1) Inflorescence of many, shortly separated verticillasters forming a long, narrow

spike.

2) Verticillasters, of 2 pedunculate, dense cymes each with 4-10 flowers.

3) Corolla, small (c. 5 mm), pinkish-purple, with a slightly curved tube, with 2 lips,

the higher, helmet-shaped, the lower, with three lobes.

4) Calyx, c. 3 mm, straight, glabrous in the throat, teeth erect, subulate, half as

long as the tube.

Fruit:-

1) Nutlets, acute.

Key features:-

1) Verticillasters, numerous, dense, 8-20-flowered, forming a narrow, spike-like

inflorescence, ± confluent above.

2) Corolla, c. 5 mm.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- A common constituent of open dry shrubby vegetation on dry, rocky

slopes. especially of limestone. 0-800(-1900) m.

Distribution:- Common throughout Greece, but lacking on some of the smaller

islands. - Mediterranean region, but not Spain, eastwards to W Anatolia.

Widespread and common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Late Apr to early July.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton