Author: آمنه غلامی 
Nepeta kotschyi Boiss.
Leila Falah Hoseini, Mohammad Dadmand and Ahmad Pourmirzaee
Natural Resources Gene Bank, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Uploaded at December 2025
Scientific editor: Parvin Salehi Shanjani
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: Ovoid-oblong, ventral and dorsal sides convex, areole two oblique lobs. Surface papillate, glabrous, slightly lustrous, dark brown
Fruit size: length 1.5 to 1.8 mm, width 0.8 to 1.2 mm in an accession from Mahan, Kerman, with 1000 seed/fruit weight 0.5 g., which was collected and identified in 2016 by Ahmad Pourmirzaee, and is stored in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran with the accession number 45478.
Average 1000 seed/fruit weight: 0.3 to 1 g
Biological features
Life form: Perennial, woody at base, pubescent. Stems ascending, 20 to 80 cm long
Inflorescence, flower type, and pollination mechanism: Inflorescence separated verticillasters, lower verticillasters pedunculate, 5 to 15 mm long; flower zygomorphic, calyx gamosepalous-shaped, tubular, 4.5 to 6.5 mm long, 2-lipped, upper lip 3-toothed, lower lip 2-toothed, corolla gamopetalous, 12 to 15 mm long, 2-lipped, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, color pale blue to violet. Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated. Pollination is carried out by insects.
Time of flowering: Spring to summer
Time of seed ripening: Summer
Seed dispersal methods: By seed weight
Geographical distribution: Iran and Afghanistan. Typus from Iran
Distribution in Iran: West, Center, southern west, south. Mostly in provinces Markazi, Kohkiluyeh and Boyerahmad, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari and Fars
Taxonomy
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Nepeta
Species: N. kotschyi
Subspecies: kotschyi
Persian name: Punesa-e kuhdalo
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.
Javadi, H. 2021. Seed: Processing and Quality tests. Agricultural Education & Extension Publishers, 175 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.
