Teucrium is a genus of perennial plants, of the family Lamiaceae. Common names for this genus include germanders. These species are herbs, shrubs or subshrubs. They are most common in Mediterranean climates.
A unique feature of this genus among Lamiaceae is that the flowers completely lack the upper lip of the corolla, although it is somewhat reduced also in other genera (Ajuga among them).
Several are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Coleophora case-bearers Coleophora auricella and Coleophora chamaedriella. The latter is only known from Wall Germander.
Teucrium species are rich in essential oils. Humans value germanders as ornamental plants and pollen source, and some species have culinary and/or medical value.
Selected species
- Teucrium ajugaceum
- Teucrium argutum
- Teucrium balfourii
- Teucrium balthazaris
- Teucrium botrys – Cut-leaved Germander
- Teucrium canadense – American Germander
- Teucrium capitatum
- Teucrium chamaedrys – Wall Germander
- Teucrium corymbosum
- Teucrium cossonii – Fruity Teucrium
- Teucrium cubense
- Teucrium flavum – Yellow Germander
- Teucrium fruticans – Tree Germander, Shrubby Germander, Bush Germander
- Teucrium glandulosum
- Teucrium grandiusculum
- Teucrium laciniatum – Lacy Germander
- Teucrium marum Cat Thyme
- Teucrium polium – Felty Germander
- Teucrium pyrenaicum
- Teucrium racemosum
- Teucrium scordium – Water Germander
- Teucrium scorodonia – Woodland Germander
- Teucrium socotranum
- Teucrium townsendii
- Teucrium townsendii ssp. affine
- Teucrium townsendii var. townsendii
See also
References
External links
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Tuesday June 24, 2008 at 16:56:11 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation
Copyright © 2008, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.