Family:
Lamiaceae Martinov

Micromeria Benth.

This genus is accepted, and its native range is Europe to S. Central China and S. Africa, Alaska to California.

[LKGF]

Harley, R.M. et al. (2004). Labiatae, in The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants (K. Kubitzki, ed. in chief) VI: 167-275. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York.

Morphology General Habit
Perennial or annual ( m. cymuligera boiss. & haussk.) herbs, subshrubs or shrubs, often aromatic
Morphology Leaves
Leaves entire or toothed, linear to ovate, flat or revolute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence in axillary verticillasters, 2-20-flowered, or sometimes flowers solitary in leaf-axils
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts ± similar to leaves
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracteoles
Bracteoles often present
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers (possibly resupinate in m. cymuligera ) pedicellate or not, pedicels sometimes very long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx actinomorphic to weakly 2-lipped, campanulate or cylindrical, scarcely accrescent, 13-15-nerved, 5-lobed, lobes ± equal or (3/2), anterior often longer, sometimes curved, spreading, throat bearded or not
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla usually small, white to yellowish, mauve, pink or purple, 2-lipped, 4-lobed (1/3), posterior lip emarginate, ± straight, anterior lip spreading, tube cylindrical, sometimes hairy in throat
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4, didynamous, included or exserted from tube, filaments straight or connivent, thecae divaricate, ellipsoidal, confluent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigma-lobes subequal, subulate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlets ovoid, sometimes apiculate, ± smooth, sometimes hairy, mucilage cells present.
Note
2n = 20, 22, 30, 50, 60.  About 70 species. Of the six sections recognised by Morales (1993), only four are included in Micromeria as delimited here: Pseudomelissa Benth., Micromeria, Pineolentia P. Pérez, Cymularia Boiss.   The supposedly resupinate natu
Distribution
Europe, Mediterranean region, Macaronesia, Northern Africa, Asia, mountains of Eastern and Southern Africa, and Western tropical Africa, Madagascar.

[FTEA]

Lamiaceae (Labiatae), A.J. Paton, G. Bramley, O. Ryding, R.M. Polhill, Y.B. Harvey, M. Iwarsson, F. Willis, P.B. Phillipson, K. Balkwill, C.W. Lukhoba, D.F. Otieno, & R.M. Harley. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2009

Morphology General Habit
Perennial, aromatic herbs, subshrubs or shrubs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite, ± leathery, usually small, margin thickened, entire or almost so
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence thyrsoid or with the cymes reduced to single flowers; bracts ± similar to the ordinary leaves but mostly gradually smaller upwards in the inflorescence; cymes 1–many-flowered; bracteoles present, small
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 5-lobed, scarcely accrescent, slightly zygomorphic to 2-lipped; tube (11–)13(–15)-veined, ± hairy inside near the mouth; posterior lip 3-lobed; anterior lip 2-lobed, divided to the base, with the lobes mostly longer and narrower
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla 2-lipped; posterior lip emarginate; anterior lip almost flat, 3-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4, ascending under the posterior corolla lip; thecae divaricate, separated by a short connective
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary deeply 4-lobed, style gynobasic, branches usually equal or subequal
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlets matt, glabrous, with a ± distinct areole at the scar, producing mucilage when wet.
Note
In most other Floras and systematic works, the tropical African species of Micromeria are included in the genus Satureja L. With new generic concepts, Satureja sensu stricto is not native in tropical Africa.

[LKGF]
Use
Aromatic and medicinal plants used as flavouring and source of essential oils.

Native to:

Afghanistan, Alaska, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Baleares, British Columbia, Bulgaria, Burundi, California, Cameroon, Canary Is., Cape Provinces, Cape Verde, Chad, China South-Central, Corse, Cyprus, Djibouti, East Aegean Is., East Himalaya, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Gulf of Guinea Is., Gulf States, Idaho, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Kenya, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Madeira, Malawi, Montana, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Oman, Oregon, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Rwanda, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Sicilia, Sinai, Socotra, Somalia, Spain, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Uganda, Washington, West Himalaya, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Micromeria Benth. appears in other Kew resources:

First published in Edwards's Bot. Reg. 15: t. 1282 (1829)

Accepted by

  • Bräuchler, C., Ryding, O. & Heubl, G. (2008). The genus Micromeria (Lamiaceae), a synoptical update Willdenowia 38: 363-410.
  • Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Database in ACCESS: 1-216203. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Literature

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Bräuchler et al. in Taxon 54: 639–650 (2005)
  • Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 15, t. 1282 (1829)
  • J.L.S. 155: 429–446 (2007)
  • Kubitzki, Fam. Gen. Vasc. Pl. 7: 240 (2004)
  • Vasc. Pl. 7: 240 (2004)

Lamiaceae Key Genus Fact Sheets

  • Apozia Willd. ex Steud., Nomencl. Bot., ed. 2, 1: 114 (1840).
  • Cuspidocarpus Spenn. in T.F.L.Nees von Esenbeck, Gen. Fl. Germ. 2: 18 (1843).
  • Harley RM, Atkins S, Budantsev AL, Cantino PD, Conn BJ, Grayer R, Harley MM, de Kok RPJ, Krestovskaja T, Morales R, Paton AJ, Ryding O, and Upson T. 2004. Labiatae, in The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants (K. Kubitzki, ed. in chief) VI: 167-275. Sp
  • Micromeria Benth., Edwards's Bot. Reg. 15: t. 1282 (1829).
  • Micronema Schott, Oesterr. Bot. Wochenbl. 1857: 95 (1857).
  • Morales, Bot. Complutensis 18: 157-168 (1993), rev. reg.
  • Perez de Paz, Monografías Secc. 4: Ciéncias Naturales, 16: 1-306 (1978), rev. reg.
  • Piperella C.Presl, Fl. Sicul.: xxxvii (1826).
  • Sabbatia Moench, Methodus: 386 (1794).
  • Tendana Rchb.f., Oesterr. Bot. Wochenbl. 7: 160 (1857).
  • Xenopoma Willd., Mag. Neuesten Entdeck. Gesammten Naturk. Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin 5: 399 (1811).
  • Zygis Desv. in W.Hamilton, Prodr. Pl. Ind. Occid.: 46 (1825).

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Lamiaceae Key Genus Fact Sheets

    Nina Davies, Gemma Bramley and Don Kirkup, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0