Ballota nigra L. subsp. foetida (Vis.) Hayek

Spice Flower In the field 1 In the field 2

Family: LABIATAE (LAMIACEAE)

Genus: Ballota

Catalan common name: Garrotxa. Herba pudenta. Malrubí bord. Malrubí negre. Marrumbí.

Spanish common name: Marrubio fétido.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Lleida. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca.

General distribution (Phytogeography): West Mediterranean

Uses and properties: Aromatic.

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Chameophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Path and road sides, disturbed zones.

Characteristics: Quite a branched plant, it is perennial, so it has a relatively thick trunk. The stems and the leaves are dark green. The leaves slightly resemble a nettle, but they are more consistent and hairy to the touch (and they do not sting), They smell a bit fetid. The flowers grow in layers (false verticils) at the top of the branches and are pinkish or whitish in colour. The calyxes are characteristic because they form quite a long, funnel-shaped tube; the teeth are very short and are folded longitudinally. In the Pitiüses (Eivissa and Formentera) we can also find Ballota hirsuta, which has heart-shaped leaves and the calyx has 10 teeth or more, instead of the 5 in Ballota nigra. It flowers in spring, but can also be found in flower in autumn.