ironwort

''Sideritis'', also known as ironwort, mountain tea, and shepherd's tea, is a genus of flowering plants known for their use as herbal medicine, commonly as an herbal tea. They are abundant in Mediterranean regions, the Balkans, the Iberian Peninsula and Macaronesia, but can also be found in Central Europe and temperate Asia.

History and etymology

In Greek, "sideritis" ( Gr: σιδηρίτις) can be literally translated as "he who is made of iron". The plant was known to ancient Greeks, specifically Pedanius Dioscorides and Theophrastus. Although Dioscorides describes three species, only one (probably ''S. scordioides'') is thought to belong to ''Sideritis''. In ancient times "sideritis" was a generic reference for plants capable of healing wounds caused by iron weapons during battles. However, others hold that the name stems from the shape of the sepal, which resembles the tip of a spear.

Taxonomy

In 2002, molecular phylogenetic research found ''Sideritis'' and five other genera to be embedded in ''Stachys''. Further studies will be needed before ''Stachys'', ''Sideritis'', and their closest relatives can be revised.

Some schemes recognize and categorize up to 319 distinct species, subspecies, ecotypes, forms or cultivars, including:

*''Sideritis barbellata'' Mend.-Heu. - endemic to the Canary Island of La Palma.
*'' Sideritis candicans'' Aiton - endemic to Madeira, Bugio Island and Porto Santo Island.
*'' Sideritis cypria'' Post - endemic to Cyprus
*'' Sideritis euboea'' Heldr - found in the island of Euboea
*'' Sideritis hyssopifolia'' L. - mountains of the Iberian Peninsula
*'' Sideritis lanata'' L.
*''Sideritis leucantha'' Cav.
*''Sideritis macrostachyos'' Poir.
*''Sideritis montana'' L.
*''Sideritis purpurea'' Talb. - found in western Greece, the Ionian Islands and Crete
*''Sideritis raiseri'' Boiss & Heldr - found in Mount Tomori, Albania
*''Sideritis remota'' Urv.
*''Sideritis romana'' L.
*'' Sideritis scardica'' Gris. - native to the Sharr Mountains extending from Kosovo and North Macedonia to Albania. Also grows in Bulgaria.
*'' Sideritis syriaca'' L., ''S. cretica'' Boiss, ''S. boissieri'' Magn. - found in Syria, Turkey and Crete and collectively known as Malotira ()
*''Sideritis theezans'' Boiss & Heldr - found in the Peloponnese

Botanists have encountered difficulties in naming and classifying the varieties of ''Sideritis'' due to their subtle differences. One particularly confusing case is that of ''S. angustifolia'' Lagasca and ''S. tragoriganum'' Lagasca.

Botany

The genus is composed of short (8–50 cm), xerophytic subshrubs or herbs, annual or perennial, that grow at high altitudes (usually over 1000 m) with little or no soil, often on the surface of rocks.

It is pubescent, either villous or coated by a fine, woolly layer of microscopic intertwined hairs.

''Sideritis'' inflorescence is verticillaster.

Gallery

File:Sideritis montana Sturm23.jpg,

Uses

In Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, and Turkey, ''Sideritis scardica'', '' Sideritis clandestina'', ''Sideritis syriaca'', ''Sideritis perfoliata'' and various other species from the section ''Empedoclia'' are used as herbs either for the preparation of herbal teas, or for their aromatic properties in local cuisines. The herbal tea is commonly prepared by decoction, by boiling the stems, leaves and flowers in a pot of water, then often serving with honey and lemon.

Some plants in the genus have a history of use in traditional herbal medicine. Research into the potential effects has taken place in universities in the Netherlands and in the southern Balkans where the plant is indigenous.

Chemical constituents include diterpenoids and flavonoids.

Cultivation

''Sideritis raeseri'' is the most commonly cultivated ''Sideritis'' in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, and North Macedonia, where advanced hybrids also exist. Planting is recommended during two periods (October–November or February–March in the Northern hemisphere) and gathering in July, when in full bloom. The plant is typically dried before usage.

References

External links

Classification

Photos:


{{Taxonbar, from=Q431310

Lamiaceae genera
Herbal tea
Albanian drinks
Greek drinks
Bulgarian drinks