Teucrium subspinosum Pourr. ex Willd.

Spice Flower

Family: LABIATAE (LAMIACEAE)

Genus: Teucrium

Sinònims: Teucrium marum L. subsp. marum Teucrium marum L. subsp. spinescens (Porta) Valdés Bermejo

Catalan common name: Farigola. Frígola.

Province distribution: Balearic Islands.

Distribution in the islands: Menorca. Cabrera.

Uses and properties: Aromatic.

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Chameophyte.

Habitats: Rocky coastlines. Pine wood and shrubland with rosemary and thyme garigue. Dry and stony soils.

Characteristics: This shrub can assume several morphologies: in form of a slightly spiny cushion in littoral or windy areas, or in the form of a small shrub in more protected areas, forestlands, for example. Leaves small and triangular, greyish green above, almost white beneath. Flowers at the end of spring, and forms elongated inflorescences covered with purple crimson coloured flowers with very pilose calyces. In Majorca there is another more spiny subspecies (susbsp. occidentale), with flowers smaller and less numerous. For many years this species was classified as Teucrium subspinosum.