Flora of New Zealand Series

lamb's ears

Perennial, non-aromatic herb with fibrous roots, forming large mats, the whole plant densely and persistently white-lanate. Petioles 1/2-3/4 length of lamina in basal lvs, 5-10 mm long in stem lvs. Lamina 5-12 × 1.5-3.5 cm, oblong-elliptic or elliptic, evenly crenulate; base cuneate; apex acute or subacute. Stem lvs much smaller. Bracts smaller and narrower than foliage lvs. Calyx 10-12 mm long; teeth triangular, acuminate, much < tube. Corolla 12-15 mm long, pink or rose, lanate outside; tube included in calyx; upper lip not hooded; lower lip subequal to upper. Nutlets not seen.

N.: Maungaturoto district (N. Auckland); S.: Christchurch, Hororata (Canterbury).

Asia Minor, Caucasia 1904

Occasionally in vicinity of gardens and often persisting as a relic of cultivation.

FL Dec-Feb.

Lamb's ears is a common garden plant in many parts of N.Z. and tolerates a wide range of conditions, but is especially successful on dry, impoverished soils. The white-lanate lvs are unlikely to be mistaken for those of any other labiate in N.Z. but somewhat resemble those of small plants of Verbascum thapsus, although in S. byzantina the lvs are not in rosettes. It has been previously known in N.Z. as S. lanata and S. olympica and was first recorded as S. germanica.