''Phlomis'' is a genus of over 100 species''Phlomis''. Flora of China. of
herbaceous
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials.
Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous"
The fourth edition of t ...
plants,
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 and
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
s in the family
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 from the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
region east across central
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
to
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.
The name ''Phlomis'' derives from a Greek word for "flame", and may refer to the leaves' use in ancient times as lamp wicks. Common names include Jerusalem sage and lampwick plant.
Description
The overall size varies between species from 30 cm tall up to 2 m tall. The
leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
are entire, opposite and decussate (each leaf pair at right angles to the next) and rugose or reticulate veined. The
bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...
s (floral leaves) are similar or different from the lower leaves. All parts are frequently covered with hairs. The bracteoles are
ovate
Ovate may refer to:
*Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts
*Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe
*Ovates, one of three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd
*Vates
In modern English, the nouns vates () and ovat ...
,
lanceolate
The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...
or
linear
Linearity is the property of a mathematical relationship (''function'') that can be graphically represented as a straight line. Linearity is closely related to '' proportionality''. Examples in physics include rectilinear motion, the linear r ...
. The
flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s are arranged in whorls called verticillasters which encircle the stems. The stems are usually square in section with rounded corners, although
tomentum
Tomentum may refer to:
* Plant trichomes, a covering of closely matted or fine hairs on plant leaves.
* Tomentum (anatomy)
Tomentum may refer to:
* Plant trichomes, a covering of closely matted or fine hairs on plant leaves.
* Tomentum (ana ...
on the stems can make them appear circular. The colour of the flowers varies from yellow to pink, purple and white. The calyx is
tubular
Tubular may refer to:
*having the form of a hollow cylinder, or tube
*having the form of a cylinder
*''Tubular'', a television-related entertainment blog on the ''Houston Chronicle'' website
*''Tubular'', a level in the video game ''Super Mario Wor ...
or campanulate with five or ten veins visible. Five teeth, either all equal or with the outer two longer than the others. The upper lip is hood shaped and laterally compressed (''P. tuberosa'', however, has an uncompressed lip with a dense bearded edge). The lower lip is ''trifid'', the central lobe being larger than the lateral ones. There are four
stamen
The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10
Morphology and terminology
A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...
s ascending under the upper lip.
Anther
The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10
Morphology and terminology
A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...
with forked end, the upper fork being shorter than the lower. The
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
s are four three-sided,
nutlet
A nut is a fruit consisting of a hard or tough nutshell protecting a kernel which is usually edible. In general usage and in a culinary sense, a wide variety of dry seeds are called nuts, but in a botanical context "nut" implies that the shell ...
s, and sometimes topped with hair, sometimes glabrous. The root system can be very extensive; roots of 6-week-old seedlings have been measured at 0.7 m.
''Phlomis'' species are the only host plants of the moths '' Coleophora phlomidella'' and '' C. phlomidis''.
Systematics
The following species belong to genus ''Phlomis'', but some of them are now distributed in the genus '' Phlomoides''.GRIN Species Records of ''Phlomis''. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).
Phlomis russeliana
''Phlomis russeliana'', Turkish sage, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to Turkey and Syria in south west Asia. It is often confused with the closely related '' P. samia'', and wrongly marketed as ''Phlomis viscosa' ...
Phlomis tathamiorum
''Phlomis tathamiorum'' is a plant species endemic to a small area near the town of Ehden in northern Lebanon. It grows in rocky mountain pastures at elevations of 1400–1700 m. The plant is under threat due to proposed development of the land f ...
Phlomoides betonicoides
''Phlomoides'', also called Jerusalem sage and Lampwick plant, is a genus of over 130 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean region east across central Asia to China. ''Phlomoides'' now comprises the fo ...
Phlomoides macrophylla
''Phlomoides'', also called Jerusalem sage and Lampwick plant, is a genus of over 130 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean region east across central Asia to China. ''Phlomoides'' now comprises the fo ...
Phlomoides melanantha
''Phlomoides'', also called Jerusalem sage and Lampwick plant, is a genus of over 130 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean region east across central Asia to China. ''Phlomoides'' now comprises the fo ...
Phlomoides milingensis
''Phlomoides'', also called Jerusalem sage and Lampwick plant, is a genus of over 130 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean region east across central Asia to China. ''Phlomoides'' now comprises the fo ...
Phlomoides oreophila
''Phlomoides'', also called Jerusalem sage and Lampwick plant, is a genus of over 130 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean region east across central Asia to China. ''Phlomoides'' now comprises the fo ...
Phlomoides pratensis
''Phlomoides'', also called Jerusalem sage and Lampwick plant, is a genus of over 130 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean region east across central Asia to China. ''Phlomoides'' now comprises the fo ...
Phlomoides rotata
''Phlomoides'', also called Jerusalem sage and Lampwick plant, is a genus of over 130 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean region east across central Asia to China. ''Phlomoides'' now comprises the fo ...
Phlomoides spectabilis
''Phlomoides'', also called Jerusalem sage and Lampwick plant, is a genus of over 130 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean region east across central Asia to China. ''Phlomoides'' now comprises the fo ...
Phlomoides tuberosa
''Phlomoides tuberosa'' (syn. ''Phlomis tuberosa''), the sage-leaf mullein, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia; SW Asia and Europe. Enlarged, tuberous roots ...
Phlomoides younghusbandii
''Phlomoides'', also called Jerusalem sage and Lampwick plant, is a genus of over 130 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean region east across central Asia to China. ''Phlomoides'' now comprises the fo ...