Marrubium vulgareL. White Horehound

Marrubium vulgareL. - White Horehound

Scientific Description:

Erect, little-branched perennial. Stems 20−60 cm, densely pilose, whitish below, greyish above. Leaves petiolate, ovate to orbicular, coarsely doubly crenate, covered with stellate hairs on both surfaces, whitish or greyish beneath, dark greyish-green above. Verticillasters several-flowered; bracteoles as long as or longer than calyx tube. Calyx tube 3.5−4.5 mm, densely stellate pilose; teeth (5−)10, spreading, hamate or circinate, ± equal, 1.5−2 mm, stellate-pilose for 1/2−2/3 of their length. Corolla white or cream, densely stellate-pilose outside, ± glabrous within the upper lip. Nutlets greyish-brown, c. 2 mm.

 

Flowering time: April−August.

Habitat: Roadsides, chalk banks, steppe, eroded hills, etc., s. l−1400 m.

 

Reference:

Cullen J (1982). Marribium vulgare L., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 7: 168.

Public Description:

Marrubium vulgare, known as “white horehound”, is native to Europe, northern Africa, southwestern and central Asia. It is a grey-leaved herbaceous perennial plant with white flowers, and  grows up to 60 cm in lenght. It blooms between April and August and is found in roadsides, chalk banks, steppe and eroded hills. It was used for treatment of respiratory diseases at 1st century BC. The essential oil, “marrubiin”, has potent antimicrobial and anticancer properties.

 

References:

Anonymous (2016). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marrubium_vulgare, Accessed date: 14.02.2016.

Dirmenci T (2012). Marrubium L., In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 559–561.