Phlomis bovei De Noé
Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 2:585 (1855)

bovei is in honour of Nicolas Bové (1812-1841)

Herbaceous perennial to 1.5 m. Often develops a stout woody base. All parts sticky (dendroid stellate glandular). Basal leaves green, heart-shaped, scalloped margins, 6.5-25 × 4.5-20 cm; petiole 4-18 cm.

P. bovei De Noé subsp. bovei 
Bull. Soc. Brot. Fr. 2:585 (1855)

Synonym: P. samia Desfontaines

Distribution in the wild:Algeria, Tunisia

In cultivation, but not widely grown. Flower stems have a propensity to flop and so a site with support is called for. It is however very floriferous, with a claret-coloured corolla.

Species to 1. m. Stems with sparse covering of stellate hairs a few of which are glandular. Corolla a dull purple to 3.5 cm in length. Central lobe of lower lip up to 9 mm broad and lateral lobes curve inwards.  The calyx is 16–18 × 5mm and almost tubular. Bracteoles incurved round whorl.

P. bovei De Noé subsp. maroccana Maire
Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Afrique N. 19:62 (1928)
Illust.: Bot. Mag. t. 9144 (1926)

Synonym: P. samia subsp. maroccana (Maire)               Distribution in the wild:Morocco, Algeria 

maroccana means of Morocco, but I have added Algeria to the   distribution area because the plant detailed in the Botanical Magazine (1926) was grown from seed collected in Algeria and is a perfect match to Maire’s later description (1928) for the subspecies maroccana.

This is a very attractive species with magnificent flower heads of lilac colour. Develops a thick woody base. Like P. samia most of the plant is sticky although usually less so than P. samia.

I feel that the status of this plant should be raised to the level of species, so different is it from P. bovei De Noé. Instead of a tightly packed whorl of near tubular calyces surrounded by tightly incurved bracteoles, we have a whorl of pot-bellied calyces widely divergent, loosely surrounded by divergent bracteoles. The corolla is much bigger than in the species and the upper lip is separated from the lower one by some 5 mm. The central lobe of the lower lip is at least twice as wide as for the species. The colours of the corolla are much paler.

                                                                        Corolla    Corolla
                    Upper lip   Lower Lip

To 1.5 m. Stems and leaves covered in stellate glandular hairs. Viscose to the touch. The calyx is larger (up to 20 × 7mm),  and distinctly pot-bellied rather than tubular as in the species. Corolla much longer, to 4.5cm. lower lip heavily spotted white and purple. Individual corollas within a whorl can vary in colour.  Upper lip of corolla well separated (5 mm) from lower lip. Central lower lobe much broader (20 to 28 mm across) than in the species and outer lobes not revolute. Calyces and bracteoles divergent as in species.