Melissa officinalis
Melissa officinalis
Ssp officinalis: Oğulotu; Ssp inodora: Anababakokusu
Perennial. Stems 28-95 cm or more, erect, branched, densely or sparsely glandular-puberulent, with or without villous indumentum of longer patent hairs, or glabrescent. Leaves broadly ovate to rhomboidal or elliptic, 18-95 x 13-75 mm, adpressed-villous to sparingly pubescent or subglabrous, acute or obtuse, cuneate to cordate, deeply crenate except at base. Floral leaves similar, lower cordate to cuneate, margin crenate-serrate. Verticillasters 4-12-flowered. Bracteoles foliaceous, narrowly to broadly ovate, 3-10 x 1.2-7 mm. Calyx 610 mm, with short glandular and long eglandular hairs; upper lip 2-3-toothed, middle tooth often obsolete or absent altogether; teeth of lower lip narrowly triangular-lanceolate. Corolla pale yellow, becoming white, sometimes tinged pale mauve, 9-14 mm. Fl. 6-9. Forest clearings, scrub, macchie, rocky slopes and crevices, streamsides, waste places, roadsides, s.I.-1800 m.
1. Stems densely glandular-pubescent with very short hairs, lacking patent long hairs; leaves cuneate at base; middle tooth of upper lip of calyx distinct, broadly triangular .....subsp. officinalis ; Caucasia, N. Iran, N. Iraq. )
1. Stems with at least some long patent hairs, villous to glabrescent; leaves truncate to subcordate at base; middle tooth of upper lip of calyx distinct or obsolete
2. Stems and leaves densely villous to tomentose with numerous long patent hairs and usually few glands; middle tooth of upper lip of calyx obsolete or absent ..........subsp. altissima
2. Stems and leaves sparingly pilose to glabrescent, glands few or numerous; middle tooth or upper lip of calyx fairly distinct, triangular .........subsp, inodora
