''Pseudodictamnus mediterraneus'', the false dittany, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the mint

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Lamiaceae. It is native to the southern Aegean region.

Taxonomy

Several

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often con ...

s are attached to this plant, including false dittany, false divinity, and Greek horehound.

Etymology

The Latin

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

''pseudodictamnus'' means "false dittany". In this case, the resemblance is to the classical dittany of Crete, ''

Origanum dictamnus ''Origanum dictamnus'', the dittany of Crete, Cretan dittany or hop marjoram, is a tender perennial plant that grows 20–30 cm high. It is known in Greek as ''δίκταμο'' (''díktamo'', cf. " dittany") or in the Cretan dialect as '' ...

'', not to the much more distantly related genus ''

Dictamnus ''Dictamnus'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae, native to temperate Eurasia from Spain to China. The genus was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Species , Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (P ...

'' in the family

Rutaceae The Rutaceae () is a family (biology), family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE
in Bo ...

Description

A low mound-forming

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

growing to tall and wide, it bears almost circular, dished, silver-green leaves with a soft felted texture; and masses of pink flowers (which are mostly hidden by the leaves) in late spring and early summer. It tolerates temperatures as low as , but requires very dry conditions and sharp drainage in full sun.

Distribution

''Pseudodictamnus mediterraneus'' is

native Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...

to dry Mediterranean regions in Europe and western Asia, including Greece (South Aegean), Egypt, Libya and Turkey. It is also an introduced species in the British Isles and Italy (Sicily).

In horticulture

In cultivation in the UK, this plant has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15345437 Plants described in 1834 Flora of Greece Flora of Egypt Flora of Libya Lamiaceae