Nomenclature

Species name:

Teucrium flavum   L.

Author(s):

Carl von Linné
   Sweden, 1707-1778

General names:

Yellow Germander

Maltese name:

Borghom Komuni

Plant Family:

Lamiaceae / Labiatae   (Mint Family)

Name Derivation:

Teucrium = Greek name attributed to Germander. It is believed that it is an old name for Teucer, the first king of Troy who used this plant for the first time in as a medicine. Teucer went to Cyprus, where he founded the town of Salamis and ruled as king (Greek);
flavum = Pure yellow (Latin).

Synonyms:

Teucrium flavum subsp. flavum, Teucrium flavum subsp. pilosum, Teucrium majus

Plant Description

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Habitat:

Maquis, garigue, rocky wasteland.

Sources in Malta:

Frequent plant throughout rocky terrain in Malta and Gozo. Examples include Dingli Cliffs, Clapham Junction, Siggiewi, Hagar-Qim/Mnajdra, Mellieha (Qammieh), Wardija and Selmun. Found in Gozo such as at Ta' Cenc, Hondoq, Xlendi and Dwejra.

Plant Height:

25-50cm

Flowering Time:

May-Jul

A small evergreen, densely-leaved, multi-branched shrub (or sub-shrub), reaching a diameter of about 40-85cm and a height of up to 50-60cm. Entire plant covered with shaggy, white, soft hairs (=shortly villous); more dense at stems and calyx. Stems often attain a maroon colour and have a 4-angled cross section. Plant forms opposite branching growing from axils of leaves which later fall off.

Leaves are arranged opposite and decussate along stem, that is a leaf-pair is found at right angles with the pair above. Leaves are lance-shaped (young ones more ovoid) dull green from both sides and have a crenated or minutely serrated margin, sometimes recurved down. Cauline leaves are sessile, basal leaves shortly stalked.

The inflorescence is a verticillaster of a variable number of petiolated flowers, usually 4-6 per node. Sessile bracts are of same shape as leaves but smaller. The flowers are composed of an actinomorphic, campanulate, toothed calyx and a 1-lipped, pale-yellow corolla. The 8mm long calyx is composed of 5, triangular teeth of equal size.

At first glance, the corolla looks to be composed of two lips, but on a closer examination, it is made up of a 5-lobed, highly modified, singular, lower lip; upper lip absent. The pair of lobes close to the mouth have a wide base with a narrowing tip. They are curved abruptly upright and come close to each other forming what looks like to be an upper lip. The narrow tips have a purple-marroon colour. Next is a pair of lobes which are thin, elongated and decorated by a deep purple margin. Finally there is the 5th terminal lobe, which is the largest, hooded, undecorated pale yellow colour, grooved with long hairs towards the throat. The corolla is 15-17mm long and have a fragrant smell.

The male reproductive organs consist of 4, long, protruding stamens, which run parallel to each other and are curved down towards the lip. They have pale green, firm filaments and each holds an orange-peach coloured anther. The female part is a central pistil with a small hidden ovary and a long, pale green style running along with the stamens (also protruding and curved down) and terminating with a minutely bifid (split in 2) stigma.

The ovary is found sheltered at the base of the calyx and when fertilized it develops into 4 brown nutlets which have a smooth or slightly reticulated texture. They fall off with swaying of the stems without any special means of seed dispersion.

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