''Ballota'' (horehound) is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of flowering

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

perennial plants A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

and

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short shrub, and is a woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Der ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory ...

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

regions. The

Mediterranean region In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and wa ...

has the highest

diversity Diversity, diversify, or diverse may refer to: Business *Diversity (business), the inclusion of people of different identities (ethnicity, gender, age) in the workforce *Diversity marketing, marketing communication targeting diverse customers * ...

in the genus, with more isolated locations in South Africa, Central Asia, northern Europe, and the islands of the eastern North Atlantic.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> It is found in rocky and waste ground. ''Ballota'' is

paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...

and will eventually be re-circumscribed. It is closely related to '' Moluccella'' and ''

Marrubium ''Marrubium'' (horehound or hoarhound) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native to temperate regions of Europe, North Africa, and Asia as far east as the Xinjiang region of western China. A few species are also naturalize ...

''.Anne-Cathrine Scheen, Mika Bendiksby, Olof Ryding, Cecilie Mathiesen, Victor A. Albert, and Charlotte Lindqvist. 2010. "Molecular Phylogenetics, Character Evolution, and Suprageneric Classification of Lamioideae (Lamiaceae)". ''Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden'' 97(2):191-217. Some of its species had previously been placed in ''Marrubium''. Other species have already been split to '' Pseudodictamnus'' ''Ballota'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

including ''

Coleophora ''Coleophora'' is a very large genus of moths of the family Coleophoridae. It contains some 1,350 described species. The genus is represented on all continents, but the majority are found in the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Many authors hav ...

'' case-bearers: ''C. ballotella'', ''C. lineolea'' (which has been recorded on ''B. nigra'') and ''C. ochripennella''. ;Species * ''

Ballota adenophora ''Ballota'' (horehound) is a genus of flowering evergreen perennial plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. native to temperate regions. The Mediterranean region has the highest diversity in the genus, with more isolated locations in South ...

'' Hedge - Saudi Arabia * '' Ballota andreuzziana'' Pamp. - Libya * '' Ballota antalyensis'' Tezcan & H.Duman - Turkey * '' Ballota antilibanotica'' Post - Syria, Lebanon * '' Ballota byblensis'' Semaan & R.M.Haber - Lebanon * '' Ballota cristata'' P.H.Davis - Antalya region of Turkey * '' Ballota glandulosissima'' Hub.-Mor. & Patzak - Turkey * ''

Ballota grisea ''Ballota'' (horehound) is a genus of flowering evergreen perennial plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. native to temperate regions. The Mediterranean region has the highest diversity in the genus, with more isolated locations in South ...

'' Pojark. - Caucasus * ''

Ballota kaiseri ''Ballota'' (horehound) is a genus of flowering evergreen perennial plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. native to temperate regions. The Mediterranean region has the highest diversity in the genus, with more isolated locations in South ...

'' Täckh. - Sinai * ''

Ballota larendana ''Ballota'' (horehound) is a genus of flowering evergreen perennial plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. native to temperate regions. The Mediterranean region has the highest diversity in the genus, with more isolated locations in South ...

'' Boiss. & Heldr. - Turkey * ''

Ballota luteola ''Ballota'' (horehound) is a genus of flowering evergreen perennial plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. native to temperate regions. The Mediterranean region has the highest diversity in the genus, with more isolated locations in South ...

'' Velen - Saudi Arabia * '' Ballota macrodonta'' Boiss. & Balansa - Nigde region of Turkey * ''

Ballota nigra ''Ballota nigra'', black horehound, is a perennial herb of the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Mediterranean region and to central Asia and it can be found throughout Europe. It is also naturalized in Argentina, New Zealand, and the Eastern ...

'' L. - most of Europe; North Africa, Middle East as far east as Iran; naturalized in New Zealand, Argentina, North America * '' Ballota philistaea'' Bornm. - Israel * '' Ballota platyloma'' Rech.f. - Iran * '' Ballota saxatilis'' Sieber ex C.Presl - Middle East from Turkey to Saudi Arabia * '' Ballota sechmenii'' Gemici & Leblebici - Turkey * '' Ballota vellerea'' Maire, Weiller & Wilczek - Morocco

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q158853 Lamiaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Flora of the Mediterranean Basin