2. Teucrium L., Sp. Pl. 562. 1753. Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 247. 1754; Benth. in DC., Prodr. 12: 745. 1848; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 4: 700. 1885; Briquet in Engler & Prantl, Nat. Ptlanzenfam. ed. 1, 4, 3A: 210. 1895; Mukerjee in Rec. Rot. Surv. Ind. 14, 1: 215. 1940; Juzepczuk in Komarov, Fl. URSS 20: 27. 1954; Hedge & Lamond in Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 28: 145. 1968; Rech. f., Fl. Iran. 150: 23.1982.
I.C. Hedge
Perennial, herbaceous or suffruticose herbs. Stems erect or ascending, leafy, with eglandular hairs, or with glandular hairs on inflorescence axis. Leaves petiolate or sessile, not divided, margins subentire to crenate-dentate. Inflorescence of pedunculate cymes or verticillasters, distant or condensed into spikes or heads. Calyx tubular or campanulate, 10-nerved, bilabiate or regular; tube within glabrous or pilose at throat; teeth 5, equal or unequal. Corolla of 1 spreading 5-lobed lower lip (the adaxial lip represented by 2 lobes at the base of the abaxial lip); tube short, not annulate within. Stamens 4, exserted, didynamous; thecae bilocular, becoming confluent, glabrous. Style exserted, not gynobasic; stylar branches unequal or subequal. Nutlets ovoid or obovoid, rounded, with a lateral oblique attachment scar, reticulate-rugose.
A large ± cosmopolitan genus (probably of more than 200 species) distinguished from other Labiate genera by the non-gynobasic style and the apparently unilabiate corolla of one large 5-lobed lower lip. Its closest ally is Ajugo.
