SPECIES DESCRIPTION
SIDERITIS CURVIDENS
Family and Genus:- See- LABIATAE/Sect. HESIODIA
Common Names:- Round-toothed Ironwort
Homotypic Synonyms:- Hesiodia curvidens, Sideritis romana subsp.
curvidens
Meaning:- Sideritis (Gr) The Greek name, ''sideritos'', for plants used on wounds
caused by iron weapons.
Curvidens (L) With curved teeth.
General description:- Villous-lanate, annual.
Stem:-
1) Up to 30 cm. solitary or few, 5-15 cm, usually simple, thinly and patently
eglandular-pilose.
Leaves:-
1) Opposite, simple,10-25 x 5-12 mm, short-petiolate, elliptical to narrowly obovate,
shallowly crenate-serrate.
Flowers:-
1) Inflorescence, occupying most of the stem, consisting of few to several distinctly
separated verticillasters, each with 4-6 flowers.
2) Floral leaves, like the cauline but narrower, equalling or exceeding the flowers.
3) Calyx, 6-10 mm, 2-lipped; strongly saccate at the base veins weak;
a) lower teeth, 4, equal, 1/3-1/2 as long as the tube, narrowly triangular, ending
in a ± recurved awn.
b) upper tooth, much longer and broader.
4) Sepals, 5, curved at fruiting time
5) Corolla, 7-10 mm, equalling or exceeding the calyx, white or rarely pale pink.
a) stamens, 4 short and 1 style contained in the tube of the corolla finished by 2
stigmas.
Fruit:-
1) Achenes. 4.
Key features:-
1) Calyx, without prominent veins, saccate at the base; teeth curved in fruit.
Habitat:- Open dry shrubby vegetation, olive groves, open coniferous woodland,
sandy fields and coastal habitats. 0-800(-1250) m.
Distribution:- Greece, Crete and E. Mediterranean, including Cyprus. Widespread
and common on Crete.
Flowering time:- Late Mar to mid-June.
Photos by:- Steve Lenton
