Clinopodium gracile
Clinopodium gracile, commonly known as calamint, savory, slender wild basil, and tower flower, is a plant species in the mint family native to Asia.
Description
Small perennial herb, slender, stoloniferous; Stem quadrangular, numerous, tufted, erect or procumbent at the base, ascending, 8–30 cm, retrorse, pubescent; Leaves opposite, basal leaves circular-ovate, 1.2–1.5 × 1–1.1 cm, base rounded, apex obtuse, margin remotely crenate, lower and mid stem leaves ovate, 1.5–2.5 × 1–1.5 cm, papery, sub-glabrous, abaxially sparsely hispid on veins, apex obtuse, base rounded to cuneate, margin remotely dentate or crenate-serrate, petioles 0.3–1 cm; Inflorescence verticillaster, few flowered, lax or dense, crowded in short terminal raceme, floral leaves ovate-lanceolate, 0.5–1 × 0.3–0.8 cm, margin serrate, acute; Bract linear, acute, puberulous, much shorter than pedicel; Flower rose-pink, 5–7 × 3–4 mm, pedicel 1–3mm; Calyx tubular, base rounded, ca. 3–5 mm and declinate in fruit, puberulent or subglabrous, minutely hispid on veins, throat sparsely fine pilose, teeth ciliate, lower two subulate, upper three triangular, reflexed in fruit; Corolla ca. 4.5 mm, puberulent; nutlets ovoid, smooth 0.4–0.5 mm. Flowering occurs June through August, and fruiting occurs August through October.
Distribution and habitat
Clinopodium gracile is native to Asia and can occurs China, Indonesia, Japan, Java, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and India. It has also been introduced to parts of the Southeastern United States. It commonly flourishes near river banks, wild/semi-wild areas, and alongside forest margin sites.
Synonymy
Calamintha gracilis Benth. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 12: 232 Satureja gracilis Nakai in J. Coll. Sci. Imp. Univ. Tokyo 31: 149
Heterotypic synonyms
Calamintha argyi H.Lév. in Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 8: 423 Calamintha confinis Hance in J. Bot. 6: 331 Calamintha moluccana Miq. in Fl. Ned. Ind. 2: 968 Calamintha radicans Vaniot in Bull. Acad. Int. Géogr. Bot., sér. 3, 14: 182 Clinopodium confine Kuntze in Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 515 Clinopodium confine var. globosum C.Y.Wu & S.J.Hsuan ex H.W.Li in Acta Phytotax. Sin. 12: 223 Satureja confinis Kudô in Mem. Fac. Sci. Taihoku Imp. Univ. 2: 100