Author: آمنه غلامی 
Satureja sahendica Bornm.
Leila Falah Hoseini, Mohammad Dadmand, Nstaran jaliliyan and Amene Gholami
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 store 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 at 4 ºC to germinate uniformly. Then germinate under an alternating temperature regime of 15/20 ºC (the higher temperature for 16 hours in light and the lower one for eight hours in dark).
Morphology
Fruit type: Achene
Fruit shape: Prolonged ellipsoid-oblong, dorsal side convex, ventral side with two slanted surfaces, apex rounded, base with two oblique areoles. Surface fine granulate, dull, glabrous, dark brown
Fruit size: Length 1.5 to 2 mm, width 0.7 to 0.8 mm in an accession from Sonqur, Kermanshah, with 1000 seed/fruit weight 0.7 g, which was collected and identified in 2017 by Nstaran jaliliyan, and is stored in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran with the accession number of 46668.
Average 1000 seed/fruit weight: 0.5 to 1.7 g
Biological features
Life form: Perennial, subshrub, cushion-like subshrub, pubescent. Stems ascending, numerous, slender, 12 to 25 cm long
Inflorescence, flower type, and pollination mechanism: Inflorescence separated verticillasters, or spike-like with interrupted verticillasters, verticillasters with 2 to 6 flowers; flower zygomorphic, pedicle 1 mm long, calyx gamosepalous, tubular- campanulate, 3 to 6 mm long, 2-lipped, upper lip 3-toothed, lower lip 2-toothed, corolla gamopetalous, 6 to 12 mm long, 2-lipped, upper lip fused 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, color white or purplish pink. Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated. Pollination is carried out by insects.
Time of flowering: Autumn
Time of seed ripening: Autumn
Seed dispersal methods: By seed weight
Geographical distribution: Endemic to Iran. Typus from Mountain Sahand, Azerbaijan
Distribution in Iran: Northwest and West. Mostly in provinces Azerbaijan and Kermanshah
Taxonomy
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Satureja
Species: S. sahendica
Persian name: Marzeh-e sahandi
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.
