Annual or perennial herbs, subshrubs or shrubs. Inflorescence a spike, raceme or panicle; flowers in 2-many-flowered whorls; bracts usually reduced, rarely similar to the upper leaves. Calyx 2-lipped; upper lip entire or 3-toothed, the central tooth often shorter or obsolete; lower lip equally 3-toothed, longer than the upper. Corolla 2-lipped; tube usually enlarging towards the throat; upper lip usually longer than lower, usually concave and ± flattened; lower lip spreading, 3-lobed, the central lobe usually much larger than the 2 lateral. Stamens 2, ascending; staminodes 2, small and usually inconspicuous. Style included or exserted. Readily recognised by the combination of ascending stamens and the number of stamens (2). Worldwide: 900 species, from the tropics to temperate zones and especially in America, Sino-Himalayas and SW Asia Zimbabwe: 16 cultivated taxa. Insects associated with this genus:
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Species | Content |
aurea L. | |
azurea Lam. var. grandiflora Benth. | |
coccinea Buch’hoz ex Etl. | Description, Image |
farinacea Benth. | |
greggii A. Gray | Image |
hispanica L. | |
involucrata Cav. | |
leucantha Cav. | |
microphylla Kunth | |
nilotica Juss. ex Jacq. | Description, Image |
officinalis L. | |
patens Cav. | |
reflexa Hornem. | |
sclarea L. | |
splendens Roem. & Schultes | |
uliginosa Benth. |