A morphological re-evaluation of the taxonomic status of Satureja L. (Lamiaceae, Nepetoideae, Mentheae) from flora of Iran Author Bordbar, Firouzeh Author Mirtadzadini, Mansour Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman (Iran) bordbar @ uk. ac. ir, fbordbar 2000 @ yahoo. com (corresponding author) mirtadz @ uk. ac. ir bordbar@uk.ac.ir text Adansonia 2024 3 2024-04-23 46 7 45 63 https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/adansonia2024v46a7.pdf journal article 10.5252/adansonia2024v46a7 1639-4798 11058077 Satureja macrosiphonia Bornm. ( Fig. 2 G-H) In Feddes Repertorium 6: 114 ( Bornmüller 1908 ). — Type: Iran , Irak • Common in the area between Iran and Iraq , Assyria , in siccis Mar Jako ditionis urbis Mosul ; IX.1879 ; Barré de Lancy s.n. ; holo- , JE , JE-Hausskn. [ JE00024985 image!]. PHENOLOGY . — Flowering September to October, fruiting October to November. DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY . — NE of Iraq and W of Iran , Ilam and Lorestan Provinces ( Fig. 5B ). Crevices of the rocky slopes. SPECIMENS EXAMINED . — Iran • W Iran, Ilam Prov. , 4 km SE of Eivan , near Imamzadeh Abdullah ; 33°46’24.2”N , 46°16’22.0”E ; alt. 1345 m ; 02.XI.2016 ; Bordbar 2033 ( MIR ) • Ibid. ; 12.XII.2019 ; Mirtadzadini , Bordbar & Doostmohammadi 3834 ( MIR ) • Darreshahr , after Jahangirabad ; 33°06’43.5”N , 47°21’29.5”E ; alt. 720 m ; 16.IX.2019 ; Mirtadzadini 3812 ( MIR ) • Lorestan Province , 36 km from Babazeid to Islamabad ; 33°22’55.0”N , 47°26’58.8”E ; alt. 1240 m ; 16.IX.2019 ; Mirtadzadini 3810 ( MIR ) • 75 km from Khoramabad to Andimeshk ; 33°04’56.1”N , 48°13’57.3”E ; alt. 1230 m ; 18.IX.2019 ; Mirtadzadini 3811 ( MIR ) • 20 km SW of Aleshtar , Bastam dam; 33°41’9.40”N , 48°9’0.61”E ; alt. 1540 m ; 21.IX.2022 ; Mirtadzadini & Bordbar 5156 ( MIR ) • Hamadan Prov. , 6 km N of Nahavand , road of mine; 34°16’57”N , 48°22’24”E ; alt. 1995 m ; 23.IX.2022 ; Mirtadzadini & Bordbar 4157 ( MIR ) • 6 km NE of Nahavand ; 34°15’19.5”N , 48°23’39.6”E ; alt. 1900 m ; 27.IX.2022 ; Mirtadzadini & Bordbar 4159 ( MIR ) . DESCRIPTION Aromatic perennial, 30-50(-60) cm high. STEMS erect or out-spreading, length of lower internodes c. 15 mm , length of inflorescence internodes 5-10 mm , covered with short retrorse hairs. LEAVES sessile, linear-oblanceolate, sometimes linear-elliptic, 10-20 mm long, 1-5 mm wide, usually conduplicate, attenuate at base, apex rounded or mucronate, covered with short scattered scabrous hairs and sessile glands. Verticillasters distant, in lax cymes or congested, 1-6 flowers in verticillasters, sessile or pedicellate, peduncle up to 1.5-10 mm , pedicel up to 1.5-3mm . Calyx green, tubular-campanulate, covered with short scattered scabrous hairs and scattered sessile glands on the outside, 3-4 mm , superior teeth triangular-subulate or deltoid-triangular, c. 1 mm , inferior teeth lanceolate or subulate, 1.2-1.5 mm . Corolla blade violet to lilac, the tube white or yellowish, (12-) 14-20 mm long. Stamens slightly exserted from the corolla tube. Style slightly shorter than or as long as posterior stamens. Nutlets elliptic, 1.5-1.8 mm long, 0.8-1 mm wide, brown to dark brown. REMARKS This species is morphologically more close to S. avromanica by having verticillasters in lax cymes. However, S. macrosiphonia is mainly distinguished from S. avromanica by the shape of leaves (linear-oblanceolate, sometimes linear-elliptic vs linear or linear to lanceolate), shape of calyx (tubular-campanulate vs tubular). Additionally, S. avromanica has slender corollas different from those of S. macrosiphonia . The leaves in S. avromanica are glabrous while the leaves in S. macrosiphonia are covered with short scattered scabrous hairs.Among the Iranian Satureja , S. macrosiphonia as well as S. isophylla are exceptional by their scent. However, their scent is also different from each other, both of them have a lemon or a Micromeria spp. like fragrance. On the other hand, S. avromanica is a non-aromatic plant. For the differences mentioned above we believe that the Turkish specimens reported as S. avromanica ( Fırat 2015 ) are in fact S. macrosiphonia . However, for a definite statement, we need to study the herbarium specimens from Turkey . FIG . 4. — Distribution map of Satureja L. species in Iran: A , S. bachtiarica Bunge ; B , S. avromanica Maroofi ( circle ), S. hortensis L. (naturally grows) ( square ); C , S. kermanica Payandeh, Bordbar & Mirtadz. ( circle ), S. intermedia C.A.Mey. ( square ); D , S. khuzistanica Jamzad ( circle ), S. isophylla Rech.f. ( square ). This species exhibits a variation in density of trichome on the plants, the form of inflorescence and the color of corolla. S. macrosiphonia was placed in synonymy with S. macrantha by Doroszenko (1986) however with the difference mainly in the shape and size of calyx and fragrance, we accept S. macrosiphonia as a separate species.