Scutellaria orientalis
Scutellaria orientalis
Ssp alpina: Dağ kasidesi; Ssp bicolor: Alaca kaside; Ssp bornmuelleri: Bayır kasidesi; Ssp carica: Sağır kaside; Ssp cretacea: Kulaklı kaside; Ssp haussknechtii: Saçaklı kaside; Ssp macrostegia: Takkeli kaside; Ssp orientalis: Sarı kaside; Ssp pectinata: Taraklı kaside; Ssp pichleri: Diri kaside; Ssp pinnatifida: Kırbaç sırımı; Ssp porphyrostegia: Kınalı kaside; Ssp santolinoides: Fırat kasidesi; Ssp sintenisii: Eğin kasidesi; Ssp sosnowskyi: Erkek kaside; Ssp virens: Yeşil kaside
A very variable suffrutescent perennial herb, usually repent at base. Stems 5-45 cm, obscurely tetragonal. Leaves distinctly petiolate, lamina ovate-elliptic to linear, 5-30 mm, usually obtuse, cuneate or attenuate at base, 1.5-2 x as long as broad, weakly crenate to incised pinnatifid or pectinate-pinnatifid, glabrous to densely canescent-tomentose, often markedly discolorous. Inflorescence a terminal spike with tetragonal ranks of flowers , usually dense with ± imbricate bracts; bracts very variable in size and shape but often either pale greenish or deeply purple-tinged, sessile. Corolla 20-32 mm, usually yellow, sometimes reddish-spotted or with red upper or lower lip or entirely pink, bright red, brick-red or purplish, ± pubescent. Nutlets oblong, tomentellous. A polymorphic complex extending from Spain and N.W. Africa to Sinkiang. The following 16 subspecies have been recognised mainly by a combination of characters of habit, height and mode of branching of stem, shape and degree of incision of leaves, leaf indumentum, size and shape of bracts and corolla colour. Where appropriate, the distribution of the subspecies within Turkey has been cited in a parenthesis in the key. Short descriptions are given as a further aid to correct identification. Some material cannot be accommodated within the subspecies as presently delimited, and examples of such specimens have been cited which fall outside the range of measurements etc. given in the descriptions. The existence of such morphological intermediates prompted me to adopt a broad species concept in this group.
1. Cauline leaves at least 4 x as long as broad ...................m. subsp. santolinoides
1. Cauline leaves less than 4 x as long as broad
2. Leaves pinnatifid, divided at least to midway to midrib
3. Lower bracts pinnatifid to dentate; stems to 25 cm tall ...j. subsp. pichleri
3. Lower bracts entire, rarely lowermost pair with 1-2 teeth; stems not exceeding 20 cm tall
4. Leaves pectinately lobed with narrow linear segments, divided almost to midrib, strongly discolorous, greenish above, whitish beneath ................c. subsp, sosnowskyi
4. Leaves divided to distinctly short of midrib, lobes ± revolute, concolorous or weakly discolorous, greenish above and beneath ........h. subsp, pinnatifida
2. Leaves serrate, crenate or crenately lobed, divided to less than half-way to midrib
5. Lamina of median cauline leaves not more than 8 mm -rarely more-; plant prostrate, mat-forming
6. Margins of leaves subacutely serrate; calyx densely sericeous ..subsp. porphyrostegia
6. Margins of leaves obtusely lobed; calyx not sericeous
7. Plant greyish-incanoua; margins of leaves often strongly recurved; corolla dusky crimson with yellow lower lip, rarely yellow ...g. subsp. pectinata
7. Plant ± greenish, not incanous; margins of leaves not strongly recurved; corolla yellow, lower lip sometimes reddish-tinged ......... i. subsp. alpina
5. Lamina of cauline leaves more than 8 mm ; plant prostrate to erect, mat-forming or not
8. Leaves markedly discolorous, silvery-tomentose beneath ..............b. subsp. orientalis
8. Leaves concolorous or somewhat discolorous, not silvery beneath
9. Stem 20-45 cm, erect; bracts lanceolate to ovate, ± falcately curved upwards
10. Inflorescence lax; lamina lanceolate to oblong, 3-4 x as long as broad ....n. subsp. sintenisii
10. Inflorescence dense; leaves 1.5-2.5 x as long as broad
11. Stem 20-35 cm, usually branched at base; leaves sparsely tomentellous above and beneath, margins shallowly dentate; bracts concave, not keeled .....p. subsp. bornmuelleri
11. Stem 30-42 cm, usually branched in upper third; leaves densely tomentose to canescent beneath, margins crenate; bracts keeled... o. subsp. haussknechtii
9. Stem to 20 cm, prostrate or ascending; bracts broadly ovate to orbicular, not falcately curved upwards
12. Leaves dimorphic, lowermost linear-oblong with revolute crenations, densely greyish-hairy, cauline triangular-ovate.... I. subsp. carica
12. Lowermost cauline leaves similar to the rest, not densely greyish-hairy
13. Leaves glabrous .... a. subsp. virens
13. Leaves ± puberulous to tomentellous at least beneath
14. Lower surface ofleaves evenly hairy on and between veins
15. Leaves ± concolorous .... a. subsp, virens
15. Leaves discolorous ..... d. subsp. bicolor
14. Lower surface of leaves unevenly whitish-hairy, with distinctly fewer hairs on veins
16. Stems prostrate, 5-15 cm; petiole to 20 mm .......e. subsp, macrostegia
16. Stems ascending to erect, 10-20 crn; petiole 3-5 mm ..... f. subsp. cretacea
