About Teucrium botrys L.
Common Name & Growth Habit
Teucrium botrys, commonly called cutleaf germander or cut-leaved germander, is a low to short downy plant that grows as an annual, and sometimes as a biennial.
Taxonomy
It was first documented by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, and is classified in the genus Teucrium of the family Lamiaceae.
Leaf Morphology
Its leaves are oval in overall shape but deeply cut, giving them an almost pinnate appearance.
Flower Structure & Color
The species produces two-lipped flowers with a very small upper lip; flower color ranges from pink to purple.
Flower Arrangement
Flowers grow in whorls that emerge from the stem at the base of the leaves.
Flowering Period
In the northern hemisphere, this plant flowers from June to October.
Habitat Preference
It prefers growing in limy soils and bare stony ground.
Distribution
It is native to Western Europe, particularly France and Germany, and has been introduced to north-eastern North America.
