Teucrium scorodonia L.
wood sage
Rhizomatous perennial with hairy stems to c. 50 cm tall, woody at base. Petioles to c. 1.5 cm long, often much shorter. Lamina 1.5 × 0.75-2.5 cm, ovate or oblong-ovate, ± rugose, ± crenate, villous below, hairy above; base subcordate; apex obtuse or subacute. Infl. terminal, often branched, to c. 15 cm long at fruiting. Bracts ovate, < calyx. Pedicels short. Calyx c. 5 mm long, campanulate, gibbous at base, hairy, strongly veined at fruiting. Corolla tube 8-9 mm long, hairy; limb deflexed, hairy outside, yellowish green; terminal lobe c. 3 mm diam., rounded; lateral lobes c. 1.5 mm long, ± ovate-oblong, obtuse. Filaments hairy, purplish. Nutlets c. 1.2 mm long, obovoid, dark brown, almost smooth.
N.: widespread; S.: fairly common in Marlborough and Nelson, otherwise uncommon and sporadic as far south as Southland.
W. and S. Europe 1880
Scrub and old pastures, especially near hedges and plantations, often in rather moist places.
FL Dec-Feb.
