191 Species in Genus Sideritis

My Journey into the World of Sideritis

I’ve always been fascinated by the natural world, especially the diverse and often surprising realm of plants. Recently, my curiosity led me down a fascinating path to explore the genus Sideritis, a group of flowering plants more commonly known as ironwort, mountain tea, or shepherd’s tea. These names hint at the historical significance of these plants, their preferred habitat, and their traditional use as a soothing beverage.

What started as a simple inquiry blossomed into a deep dive into the world of Sideritis. I found myself engrossed in botanical databases, poring over ancient texts, and even trying my hand at cultivating a few species in my own garden. The more I learned, the more captivated I became by these resilient plants and their rich history.

A Diverse Genus with a Shared Heritage

Sideritis belongs to the mint family, Lamiaceae, and boasts a wide array of species, each with its own unique characteristics and distribution. While they share a family resemblance with their minty cousins, Sideritis species often sport woolly, grayish leaves and vibrant, yellow flowers that cluster in a distinctive whorled pattern.

1. Sideritis ajpetriana Klokov
2. Sideritis akmanii Aytac, Ekici & Donmez
3. Sideritis albiflora Hub.-Mor.
4. Sideritis × alcarazii D.Rivera, Obón & De la Torre
5. Sideritis × alfraedi Mateo & Pisco
6. Sideritis amagroi Marrero Rodr. & B.Navarro
7. Sideritis amasiaca Bornm.
8. Sideritis × anagae (Christ) ined.
9. Sideritis × angustifolia Lag.
10. Sideritis antiatlantica (Maire) Rejdali
11. Sideritis × antonii-josephii Font Quer & Rivas Goday
12. Sideritis × aragonensis Sennen & Pau
13. Sideritis arborescens Salzm. ex Benth.
14. Sideritis arguta Boiss. & Heldr.
15. Sideritis argyrea P.H.Davis
16. Sideritis × arizagae Uribe-Ech.
17. Sideritis × arizagana Font Quer
18. Sideritis armeniaca Bornm.
19. Sideritis atrinervia Klokov
20. Sideritis × baluei Font Quer
21. Sideritis barbellata Mend.-Heuer
22. Sideritis bilgeriana P.H.Davis
23. Sideritis boissieriana Peris, Stübing, Olivares & J.Martín
24. Sideritis bolleana Bornm.
25. Sideritis × bornmuelleri Negrín & P.Pérez
26. Sideritis bourgeana Boiss. & Reut.
27. Sideritis brevibracteata P.H.Davis
28. Sideritis brevicaulis Mend.-Heuer
29. Sideritis brevidens P.H.Davis
30. Sideritis briquetiana Font Quer & Pau
31. Sideritis bubanii Font Quer
32. Sideritis × cadevallii Font Quer
33. Sideritis caesarea H.Duman, Aytaç & Baser
34. Sideritis calduchii Cirujano, Roselló, Peris & Stübing
35. Sideritis canariensis L.
36. Sideritis × candelii Font Quer & Pau
37. Sideritis candicans Aiton
38. Sideritis carbonellii Socorro
39. Sideritis × carrissoana Font Quer
40. Sideritis catillaris Juz.
41. Sideritis chamaedryfolia Cav.
42. Sideritis cilicica Boiss. & Balansa
43. Sideritis cirujanoi Romo, Stübing, Roselló & Peris
44. Sideritis clandestina (Bory & Chaub.) Hayek
45. Sideritis condensata Boiss. & Heldr.
46. Sideritis congesta P.H.Davis & Hub.-Mor.
47. Sideritis cossoniana Ball
48. Sideritis cretica L.
49. Sideritis cuatrecasasii Peris, Stübing & Figuerola
50. Sideritis × currasii R.Roselló, P.P.Ferrer, Gómez Nav., E.Laguna, Sanchis & Peris
51. Sideritis cypria Post
52. Sideritis cystosiphon Svent.
53. Sideritis dasygnaphala (Webb & Berthel.) Clos
54. Sideritis dendrochahorra Bolle
55. Sideritis dianica D.Rivera, Obón, De la Torre & A.Barber
56. Sideritis dichotoma Huter
57. Sideritis × difficilis Font Quer
58. Sideritis discolor Webb ex Bolle
59. Sideritis dubia Coulomb
60. Sideritis elica Aneva, Zhelev & Bonchev
61. Sideritis endressii Willk.
62. Sideritis eriocephala Marrero Rodr. ex Negrín & P.Pérez
63. Sideritis erythrantha Boiss. & Heldr.
64. Sideritis euboea Heldr.
65. Sideritis euxina Juz.
66. Sideritis × fernandezii Negrín & P.Pérez
67. Sideritis ferrensis P.Pérez & Négrin
68. Sideritis flaviflora Obón & D.Rivera
69. Sideritis fruticulosa Pourr.
70. Sideritis × gaditana Rouy
71. Sideritis galatica Bornm.
72. Sideritis × garrigae Font Quer
73. Sideritis germanicopolitana Bornm.
74. Sideritis × ginesii Socorro, L.Cano & Espinar
75. Sideritis glacialis Boiss.
76. Sideritis glauca Cav.
77. Sideritis gomeraea de Noé ex Bolle
78. Sideritis × gomeznavarroi R.Roselló, P.P.Ferrer, Fabado, E.Laguna & Peris
79. Sideritis gossypina Font Quer
80. Sideritis grandiflora Salzm. ex Benth.
81. Sideritis × grossii Font Quer
82. Sideritis × guaxarae P.Pérez & Négrin
83. Sideritis guayedrae Marrero Rodr.
84. Sideritis gulendamii H.Duman & Karaveliogullari
85. Sideritis guyoniana Boiss. & Reut.
86. Sideritis hirsuta L.
87. Sideritis hispida P.H.Davis
88. Sideritis hololeuca Boiss. & Heldr.
89. Sideritis huber-morathii Greuter & Burdet
90. Sideritis hyssopifolia L.
91. Sideritis ibanezii Pau
92. Sideritis × iberica Sennen ex Font Quer
93. Sideritis ibrahimii Obón & D.Rivera
94. Sideritis ilicifolia Willd.
95. Sideritis imbricata H.Lindb.
96. Sideritis incana L.
97. Sideritis infernalis Bolle
98. Sideritis italica (Mill.) Greuter & Burdet
99. Sideritis jahandiezii Font Quer
100. Sideritis × kerguelenii D.Rivera, Obón & De la Torre
101. Sideritis khalkhalica Bidarlord & Jamzad
102. Sideritis kuegleriana Bornm.
103. Sideritis lacaitae Font Quer
104. Sideritis × lainzii Obón & D.Rivera
105. Sideritis lanata L.
106. Sideritis lasiantha Juss. ex Pers.
107. Sideritis laxespicata (Degen & Debeaux) Socorro, I.Tarrega & Zafra
108. Sideritis leptoclada O.Schwarz & P.H.Davis
109. Sideritis leucantha Cav.
110. Sideritis × liantei Obón & D.Rivera
111. Sideritis libanotica Labill.
112. Sideritis × linearifolia Lam.
113. Sideritis × llenasii Font Quer
114. Sideritis × loscosiana Font Quer
115. Sideritis lotsyi (Pit.) Bornm.
116. Sideritis lurida J.Gay ex Lacaita
117. Sideritis lycia Boiss. & Heldr.
118. Sideritis macrostachyos Poir.
119. Sideritis maireana Font Quer & Pau
120. Sideritis × marcelii Elias & Sennen
121. Sideritis marianica Obón & D.Rivera
122. Sideritis marminorensis Obón & D.Rivera
123. Sideritis marmorea Bolle
124. Sideritis mascaensis (Svent.) Marrero Rodr.
125. Sideritis × masferreri Font Quer
126. Sideritis maura de Noé
127. Sideritis × mauritii Maire & Sennen
128. Sideritis mezgouti Molero & J.M.Monts.
129. Sideritis molinae Stübing, Peris & Figuerola
130. Sideritis montana L.
131. Sideritis montserratiana Stübing, Roselló, Olivares & Peris
132. Sideritis × montserratii D.Rivera & Obón
133. Sideritis nervosa (Christ) Linding.
134. Sideritis niveotomentosa Hub.-Mor.
135. Sideritis nutans Svent.
136. Sideritis ochroleuca Noë ex Willk.
137. Sideritis oroteneriffae Négrin & P.Pérez
138. Sideritis ortonedae (Font Quer & Pau) Obón & D.Rivera
139. Sideritis osteoxylla (Pau ex Vicioso) Alcaraz, Peinado, Mart.Parras, J.S.Carrion & Sánchez-Gómez
140. Sideritis ovata Cav.
141. Sideritis ozturkii Aytaç & Aksoy
142. Sideritis × paradoxa Font Quer
143. Sideritis × paui Font Quer
144. Sideritis pauli Pau
145. Sideritis perfoliata L.
146. Sideritis × pertegasii Pau ex R.Roselló, P.P.Ferrer, Gómez Nav., Laguna & Peris
147. Sideritis × petriludovici Obón & D.Rivera
148. Sideritis phlomoides Boiss. & Balansa
149. Sideritis phrygia Bornm.
150. Sideritis pisidica Boiss. & Heldr.
151. Sideritis × puiggariana Font Quer
152. Sideritis pullulans Vent.
153. Sideritis pumila (Christ) Mend.-Heuer
154. Sideritis pungens Benth.
155. Sideritis pusilla (Lange) Pau
156. Sideritis raeseri Boiss. & Heldr.
157. Sideritis × rodriguezii Borja ex D.Rivera & Obón
158. Sideritis romana L.
159. Sideritis rubriflora Hub.-Mor.
160. Sideritis × saforensis J.E.Oltra & P.P.Ferrer
161. Sideritis × sagredoi Socorro, Molero Mesa, Casares & Pérez Raya
162. Sideritis × sanmiguelii Font Quer
163. Sideritis santosii Marrero Rodr.
164. Sideritis sauvageana D.Rivera & Obón
165. Sideritis scardica Griseb.
166. Sideritis serrata Lag.
167. Sideritis serratifolia Hub.-Mor.
168. Sideritis sipylea Boiss.
169. Sideritis soluta Clos
170. Sideritis spinulosa Barnadez ex Asso
171. Sideritis stachydioides Willk.
172. Sideritis stricta Boiss. & Heldr.
173. Sideritis subatlantica Doum. ex Batt.
174. Sideritis sventenii (G.Kunkel) Mend.-Heuer
175. Sideritis syriaca L.
176. Sideritis taurica Stephan ex Willd.
177. Sideritis tmolea P.H.Davis
178. Sideritis × tobarrensis R.Roselló, P.P.Ferrer, Gómez Nav., E.Laguna & Peris
179. Sideritis tragoriganum Lag.
180. Sideritis trojana Bornm.
181. Sideritis tugiensis S.Ríos, M.B.Crespo & D.Rivera
182. Sideritis × valentina Sennen & Pau
183. Sideritis × vallisoletana (Sennen & Pau) R.Roselló, P.P.Ferrer, Fabado, Gómez Nav., E.Laguna & Peris
184. Sideritis × varoi Socorro & García-Gran.
185. Sideritis velayosiana Peris, Stübing, Roselló & Romo
186. Sideritis × velezana Pallarés
187. Sideritis villosa Coss. & Balansa
188. Sideritis viridifolia Dulac
189. Sideritis vulcanica Hub.-Mor.
190. Sideritis vuralii H.Duman & Baser
191. Sideritis × yvesiana Font Quer & Sennen

More Than Just a Pretty Flower

The allure of Sideritis extends far beyond its visual appeal. For centuries, various cultures have recognized the value of these plants, particularly for their medicinal properties. Traditional uses range from treating minor ailments like coughs and colds to more serious conditions like digestive issues and inflammation. Modern research is beginning to validate some of these traditional uses, with studies indicating potential antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activities in certain Sideritis species.

One of the most popular ways to enjoy Sideritis is by brewing it into a tea. The resulting beverage has a pleasant, slightly earthy flavor with subtle floral notes. In countries like Greece and Spain, Sideritis tea is a staple, often enjoyed as a relaxing evening drink or a comforting remedy for minor ailments.

Cultivating My Own Connection

Inspired by the resilience and versatility of Sideritis, I decided to try my hand at cultivating a few species in my own garden. I was delighted to find that these plants, while originating in the Mediterranean region, are adaptable to a variety of climates. With a little care and attention, I was able to successfully grow Sideritis scardica and Sideritis syriaca, their vibrant yellow blooms adding a touch of Mediterranean charm to my garden.

Tending to my Sideritis plants has become a source of both enjoyment and learning. Observing their growth, harvesting their leaves for tea, and even experimenting with different brewing methods has deepened my appreciation for these remarkable plants.

A Continuing Journey

My exploration of Sideritis has been a rewarding experience, opening my eyes to the interconnectedness of nature, culture, and history. I’m eager to continue learning about this fascinating genus, delving deeper into its taxonomy, medicinal properties, and cultural significance.

Whether enjoyed as a soothing beverage, a source of medicinal benefits, or simply admired for its beauty, Sideritis offers a unique connection to the natural world. It’s a connection I cherish and one I hope to share with others.