Author: آمنه غلامی 
Nepeta macrosiphon Boiss.
Parvin Salehi Shanjani, Hamideh Javadi, Leila Falah Hoseini and Hossein Maroufi
Natural Resources Gene Bank, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Uploaded at December 2024
Scientific editor: Mohammad Dadmand
Seed Storage
The storage behavior of this species is orthodox (desiccation-tolerant seeds); dry to 15-20 % eRH and stored at -20 °C.
Germination requirements
The seeds of this species are not dormant. Sterilize seeds before placing them on wet germination paper. Place seeds for two weeks in 4ºC germinate uniformly. Then germinate under an alternating temperature regime of 15/25 ºC (the higher temperature for 16 hours of light and the lower one for 8 hours of dark).
Morphology
Fruit type: Achene
Fruit shape: Elliptic, trihedral in cross section, areole rounded bi-lobed. Surface indistinctly reticulated, glabrous, slight lustrous, dark brown to black
fruit size: Length 1.84 to 2.09 mm, width 0.93 to 1.17 mm in an accession from Sanandaj, Kurdistan, with 1000 seed/fruit weight 0.6 g, which was collected and identified by Hossein Maroufi in 2019, and is stored in National Resources Gene Bank of Iran with the accession number of 47547.
Average 1000 seed/fruit weight: 0.6 to 0.85 g
Biological features
Life form: Subshrub, perennial, pubescent or glabrous . Stems numerous, erect to ascending, height 30 to 80 cm
Inflorescence, flower type, and pollination mechanism: Inflorescence raceme-like with long peduncle; flower zygomorphic, calyx gamosepalous, tubular, 8 to 12 mm in long, 2-lipped, upper lip 3-toothed, lower lip 2-toothed, with conspicuously veined; corolla gamopetalous, 20 to 30 mm in long, 2-lipped, upper lip 2- separated lobs, lower lip 3-lobed, color purple. Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated. Pollination is carried out by insects, especially bees.
Time of flowering: Summer
Time of seed ripening: Summer
Seed dispersal methods: Seed weight
Geographical distribution: Iran and Iraq. Typus from Fars, Iran
Distribution in Iran: West, Center and South. Mostly in provinces Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Hamedan, Isfahan, Lorestan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad and Tehran
Taxonomy
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Nepeta
Species: N. macrosiphon
Persian name: Pounesa-e luleboland, Pounesa-e sisakhti
References and Links
Black, M. and Bewley, J.D. 2000. Seed technology and its biological basis. Sheffield Academic Press, 419 pp.
Bojnanský, V., Fargašová, A. 2007. Atlas of Seeds and Fruits of Central and East-European flora. Published by Springer Dordrecht, The Netherlands. 1046 pp.
Ghahreman, A. 1979-2003. Color flora of Iran. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands Publishers, Tehran.
Jamzad, Z. 2012. Flora of Iran, No. 76: Lamiaceae. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands Press,Tehran, Iran, 1066 pp.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 1998. Dictionary of Iranian plants names. Farhange Moaser Publishers, Tehran, 671 pp.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 2012. A Pictorial dictionary of botany. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 1088 pp.
Sharma, O.P. 2009. Plant taxonomy 2E. Tata McGraw-Hill Education, New Delhi, 563 pp.
