2. Perovskia atriplicifolia Benth. in DC., Prodr. 12: 260. 1848. Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 4: 652. 1885; Burkill, Work. List Fl. Pl. Baluch. 59. 1909; Bot. Mag. t. 8441. 1912; Mukerjee in Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind. 14, 1: 103. 1940; Wealth of India, Raw Materials 7: 315. 1966; Hedge & Lamond in Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinb. 28: 126. 1968; Tscherneva in Grubov et al., Pl. As. Central. 5: 80. 1970; Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. & Kashm. 628. 1972; Kachroo et al., Fl. Ladakh 131. 1977; Rech. f., Fl. Iran. 150: 476, 369; 592, f. 1. 1982.
I.C. Hedge
Wide-spreading subshrub up to 1 m. Stems much branched, leafy. Stem and leaves with an indumentum of small adpressed dendroid-stellate hairs and numerous sessile oil globules. Leaves narrowly to broadly oblong-lanceolate, acute, crenate - sometimes deeply so - to serrate, c. 3-5 x 0.8-2 cm, tapering into a c. 1.5 cm petiole; upper leaves smaller, often subentire, merging into bracts. The characters of inflorescence, calyx, corolla, stamens and nutlets are not different from Perovskia abrotanoides.
Fl. Per.: June-October.
Type: Afghanistan: Ghazni to Kabul, Griffith (K!).
Distribution: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir.
Very closely related to the previous species and only differing in leaf characters. Stewart (l.c.) remarks that even within the same community leaf shape can be very variable. Some specimens from the Quetta region may be hybrids between the two species: e.g. Quetta, Hazarganji, Nazim & Sultan 280, 282, 283 (KUH), Quetta, 1800 m, Koeie 3375 (W). Field observations are needed.
Perovskia atriplicifolia is known from a large number of gatherings from Afghanistan, but few in Pakistan. It is uncertain if such Soviet Central Asiatic species as Perovskia angustifolia Kudr. and Perovskia scrophulariifolia Bge. are specifically different from Perovskia atriplicifolia. In the recent Conspectus Fl. As. Mediae (Vvedensky 9. 1987), Perovskia atriplicifolia is not recognized as a Central Asiatic species.
