Pseudodictamnus mediterraneus

Last updated

Pseudodictamnus mediterraneus
Ballota pseudodictamnus 1.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Pseudodictamnus
Species:
P. mediterraneus
Binomial name
Pseudodictamnus mediterraneus
Salmaki & Siadati
Synonyms
  • Ballota pseudodictamnus(L.) Benth.
  • Beringeria pseudodictamnus(L.) Neck. ex Link
  • Marrubium pallidumSalisb.
  • Marrubium pseudodictamnusL.

Pseudodictamnus mediterraneus, the false dittany, [1] is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. [2] It is native to the southern Aegean region.

Contents

Taxonomy

Several common names are attached to this plant, including false dittany, false divinity, and Greek horehound. [3]

Etymology

The Latin specific epithet pseudodictamnus means "false dittany". [4] In this case, the resemblance is to the classical dittany of Crete, Origanum dictamnus , not to the much more distantly related genus Dictamnus in the family Rutaceae.

Description

Flowering plant: Small pink and white flowers Ballota pseudodictamnus 1774.jpg
Flowering plant: Small pink and white flowers

A low mound-forming evergreen shrub growing to 50 centimetres (20 in) tall and wide, it bears almost circular, dished, silver-green leaves with a soft felted texture; and masses of pink flowers (which are mostly hidden by the leaves) in late spring and early summer. [5]

It tolerates temperatures as low as −10 °C (14 °F), but requires very dry conditions and sharp drainage in full sun.

Distribution

Pseudodictamnus mediterraneus is native to dry Mediterranean regions in Europe and western Asia, [6] including Greece (South Aegean), Egypt, Libya and Turkey. It is also an introduced species in the British Isles and Italy (Sicily).

In horticulture

In cultivation in the UK, this plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Gentiana acaulis</i> Species of plant

Gentiana acaulis, the stemless gentian, or trumpet gentian, is a species of flowering plant in the family Gentianaceae, native to central and southern Europe, from Spain east to the Balkans, growing especially in mountainous regions, such as the Alps and Pyrenees, at heights of 800–3,000 m (2,625–9,843 ft).

<i>Dictamnus albus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Dictamnus albus is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae. It is also known as burning bush, dittany, gas plant or fraxinella. This herbaceous perennial has several geographical variants. It is native to warm, open woodland habitats in southern Europe, north Africa and much of Asia.

<i>Parthenocissus quinquefolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Parthenocissus quinquefolia, known as Virginia creeper, Victoria creeper, five-leaved ivy, or five-finger, is a species of flowering vine in the grape family, Vitaceae. It is native to eastern and central North America, from southeastern Canada and the eastern United States west to Manitoba and Utah, and south to eastern Mexico and Guatemala.

Dittany is a common name for several species of plants and may refer to:

<i>Lavandula stoechas</i> Species of flowering plant

Lavandula stoechas, the Spanish lavender or topped lavender (U.S.) or French lavender (U.K.), is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, occurring natively in several Mediterranean countries, including France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece.

<i>Origanum dictamnus</i> Species of flowering plant

Origanum dictamnus, the dittany of Crete, Cretan dittany or hop marjoram, is a tender perennial plant that grows 20–30 cm high. It is known in Greek as δίκταμο or in the Cretan dialect as έρωντας. It is a therapeutic and aromatic plant that grows wild only on the mountainsides and gorges of the Greek island of Crete. It is widely used for food flavouring and medicinal purposes, in addition to featuring as an ornamental plant in gardens. This small, lanate shrub is easily recognised by the distinctive soft, woolly covering of white-grey hair on its stems and round green leaves, giving it a velvety texture. Tiny rose-pink flowers surrounded by brighter purple-pink bracts add an exuberant splash of colour to the plant in summer and autumn. The dittany is classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Plant Species 1997.

<i>Origanum</i> Genus of flowering plants

Origanum is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia, where they are found in open or mountainous habitats. A few species also naturalized in scattered locations in North America and other regions.

<i>Erica cinerea</i> Species of flowering plant in the heather family Ericaceae

Erica cinerea, the bell heather, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae, native to western and central Europe.

<i>Spartium</i> Species of broom native to the Mediterranean

Spartium junceum, known as Spanish broom, rush broom, or weaver's broom, it is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and the sole species in the genus Spartium. It is closely related to the other brooms.

<i>Lilium martagon</i> Species of lily

Lilium martagon, the martagon lily or Turk's cap lily, is a Eurasian species of lily. It has a widespread native region extending from Portugal east through Europe and Asia as far east as Mongolia.

<i>Lavandula angustifolia</i> Species of plant

Lavandula angustifolia, formerly L. officinalis, is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean. Its common names include lavender, true lavender or English lavender ; also garden lavender, common lavender, and narrow-leaved lavender.

<i>Ornithogalum dubium</i> Species of flowering plant

Ornithogalum dubium, common names sun star, star of Bethlehem or yellow chincherinchee, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is a South African endemic.

<i>Wallisia cyanea</i> Species of flowering plant

Wallisia cyanea is a species of flowering plant in the bromeliad family, native to the rainforests of Ecuador. An epiphytic perennial growing to 50 cm (20 in) high by 50 cm (20 in) wide, it has stemless rosettes of thin, recurved leaves and paddle-shaped spikes of 20 pink bracts with violet flowers, in spring and autumn.

<i>Phlox subulata</i> Species of flowering plant

Phlox subulata the creeping phlox, moss phlox, moss pink or mountain phlox, is a species of flowering plant in the family Polemoniaceae, native to eastern and central USA, and widely cultivated.

<i>Phlomis fruticosa</i> Species of flowering plants in the sage family Lamiaceae

Phlomis fruticosa, the Jerusalem sage, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to Albania, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Turkey, and countries of the former Yugoslavia.

<i>Ranunculus aconitifolius</i> Species of flowering plant

Ranunculus aconitifolius, the aconite-leaf buttercup or bachelor's buttons, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to central Europe. Growing to 60 cm (24 in) high by 40 cm (16 in) broad, this herbaceous perennial has slightly hairy palmate leaves up to 20 cm (8 in) long, and loose panicles of white, saucer-shaped flowers in spring.

<i>Anemonoides blanda</i> Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Anemonoides blanda, syn. Anemone blanda, the Balkan anemone, Grecian windflower, or winter windflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae. The species is native to southeastern Europe and the Middle East. The specific epithet blanda means "mild" or "charming". The genus name is derived from the Greek word anemos, or wind.

<i>Geranium subcaulescens</i> Species of flowering plant

Geranium subcaulescens is a species of flowering plant in the geranium family Geraniaceae, that is native to Italy, Turkey and the Balkans. A low, mounded evergreen perennial, it typically grows to 8 in (20 cm) tall by more than 11 in (28 cm) broad, with grey-green orbicular and lobed leaves, and masses of bright magenta pink flowers with black centres in summer.

<i>Jasminum humile</i> Species of plant

Jasminum humile, the Italian jasmine or yellow jasmine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Oleaceae, native to Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Burma (Myanmar), the Himalayas and south west China. The species is widely cultivated and reportedly naturalized in Greece, Sicily and the former Yugoslavia.

<i>Kalanchoe pumila</i> Species of plant

Kalanchoe pumila, the flower dust plant, is a species of flowering plant in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae, native to Madagascar. Growing to 20 cm (8 in) tall and 45 cm (18 in) wide, it is a spreading, dwarf succulent subshrub with arching stems of frosted leaves, and clusters of purple-veined pink flowers in spring. As the minimum temperature for cultivation is 12 °C (54 °F), in temperate regions it is grown under glass as a houseplant.

References

  1. 1 2 "RHS Plantfinder - Ballota pseudodictamnus". Royal Horticultural Society. 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  2. "Pseudodictamnus mediterraneus Salmaki & Siadati | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
  3. "Ballota pseudodictamnus (BLLPS)[Overview]| EPPO Global Database". gd.eppo.int. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  4. Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN   184533731X.
  5. "Ballota pseudodictamnus". perennials.com. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  6. Springer., Ogden, Lauren (2000). Passionate gardening : good advice for challenging climates . Proctor, Rob. Golden, Colo.: Fulcrum Pub. ISBN   1555913482. OCLC   42580378.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Pseudodictamnus mediterraneus at Wikimedia Commons