Nomenclature

Species name:

Prasium majus   L.

Author(s):

Carl von Linné
   Sweden, 1707-1778

General names:

White Hedgenettle
Mediterranean Prasium

Maltese name:

Te Sqalli

Plant Family:

Lamiaceae / Labiatae   (Mint Family)

Name Derivation:

Prasium = Uncertain derivation though 'prasinus' means green (Latin);
majus = Bigger, larger. (Latin).

Synonyms:

Prasium majus subsp. neglectum, Prasium creticum, Prasium minus

Plant Description

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Habitat:

Garigue, stone walls, valley sides.

Sources in Malta:

Common in many valleys throughout Malta and Gozo such as in Wied Incita, Wied Babu, Wied Znuber, Wied il-Ghasel, Wied Mgarr ix-Xini (Gozo) and many other valleys. Also present in garigues or cliff areas like Dingli Cliffs, Ghar-Lapsi area, Mellieha, Comino, Ta' Cenc (Gozo).

Plant Height:

40-100cm

Flowering Time:

Dec - Jun

An evergreen plant which can grow up to 1 metre in height and forming a shrub due to the several, diverging branches and sub-branches it forms. The plant's glabrous (or sub-glabrous) stems are rather square in cross-section and often with swollen corners. Stems frequentely turns woody (especially during Summer) attaining a light brown colour.

The short-stalked leaves grow in opposite pairs or in tufts from nodes at regular intervals along the stems. Sometimes, instead of simple leaves or tufts, there are short stems of few cm bearing opposite pairs of stalked leaves. These leaf stems will eventually grow longer to form a new branching stem. The leaves have a distinct glossy green colour and are glabrous, petiolated (stalked), oval-lanceolate in shape, have a crenated to serrate margin and a rather conspicuous, sunken venation. Measurment do not vary much and on average they are 25-35mm long and 10-18mm broad. Unlike most other species of the Mint family, the leaves of Prasium majus do not give off a particulour odour when crushed.

The flowers are produced at the axils of leaves (sometimes referred to as leaf-like bracts) and can be described as sub-sessile since they are attached to the stem by a very short (1-2mm) stalklet. There is usually one flower per leaf axil and so the inflorescence is a terminal raceme rather than a verticillaster as in many Mint species.

The flower consists of a gamoseplaous (fused sepals), campanulate, 2-lipped calyx. The lower lip is deeply bifid (two well- separated lobes) wile the upper lip is divided into 3 smaller lobes, where each has a bristle-like pointed tip. The calyx persists during fruiting and can grow up to 20-24mm in length.

The corolla is white to pale lilac and has a 2-lip structure, around 17-20mm long. The upper lip is unlobed, slightly concave, with an entire margin, while the lower lip is divided into 3 lobes, of which the central one is larger. The lower lip is slightly coloured by tiny lilac-purple spots which increase gradually towards the throat of the flower. In some specimen, the corolla is pure white.

The male reproductive organs consists of 4 stamens more or less of equal length, running parallel and often side by side in a horizontal plane. The filaments are white and also lilac-spotted. The anthers are white or lilac and sometimes show a divergent orientation to each other. The female part consists of a small green ovary hidden at the base of the calyx with a white style and sminutely bifid (divided into 2 parts) stigma.

When the flower is fertilized, the corolla drops off and the ovaries enlarge into a spherical fruit inside the calyx. The fruit consists of 4 shiny nutlets which turns black when mature. These drop off without any dispersal mechanism.

Further Information and Links

Buy from and support MaltaWildPlants.com

Submit More Information