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Perennial or annual herbaceous plants. Leaves whole, with stems or sessile, ovoid, elliptical or lanceolate to oblong lanceolate and linear lanceolate, entire or jagged. Blossoms in two- to multiblossom vertebrae in the bosom of Stem leaves or in the top part of the branches in the recesses of leaf or different from above Stem leaves entire blossom leaflets forming complex inflorescences. Bracts absent. Calyx bell-shaped pipe-like, with 10 veins and five equal, pointed teeth or upper tooth longer. Corolla bilabial; tube shorter than the calyx; upper lip erect, almost flat, entire or duple; lower tripartite with broader incised middle share. Stamens four, often hidden in a tube of corolla; Both longer often immature anthers. The bar hidden in the  tube of corolla, on top unequal splitted; one share wider and essentially embracing the other. Wren ovate, often three- keeled, smooth, rounded tip.

Table for determination of  the species:

1   Inflorescence leaves differ from stem leaves. Perennial plants with woodened basically stems. ............................................................................. 2
1* Inflorescence leaves similar to stem leaves. Annuals plants. ................................................................................................................................ 3
2  Middle Inflorescence leaves 6 - 12 mm long, equal to or shorter than blossoms. Blossom vertebrae usually apart. ........ 1. Ironwort - S. syriaca L.
2* Middle Inflorescence leaves 12 - 20 mm long, longer than the blossoms. Blossom vertebrae usually approximated in a dense wheatear-like total inflorescence ............................................................................................................. 2. Ironwort, Mountain tea, Sheferd’s tea - S. scardica Griseb.
3 Leaves oblong lanceolate or lancet, 2 - 8 mm wide .................................................................................... 3. Mountain ironwort  - S. montana L.
3* Leaves ovate, 8 - 15 mm wide ........................................................................................................................... 4. Hairy ironwort - S. lanata L.

¹ developed by Iv. Asenov
„Флора на НР България, том IX, БАН, София, (1989)”

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Sideritis, also known as ironwort,[1] mountain tea and shepherd's tea, is a genus of flowering plants well known for their use as herbal medicine, commonly as an herbal tea. They are abundant in Mediterranean regions, the Balkans, the Iberian Peninsula and Macaronesia, but can also be found in Central Europe and temperate Asia.[2][3][4][5]
The genus is composed of short (8–50 cm), xerophytic subshrubs or herbs, annual or perennial, that grow at high altitudes (usually over 1000 m) with little or no soil, often on the surface of rocks.[2][5][10][11]
It is pubescent, either villous or coated by a fine, woolly layer of microscopic intertwined hairs.
Sideritis inflorescence is verticillaster.[2][3]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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References: „Флора на НР България, том IX, БАН, София, (1989)”, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Distribution in Bulgaria: (Conspectus of the Bulgarian Vascular Flora) = conspectus&gs_l= Zlc.
Distribution:

SPECIES:

Sideritis montana L. - Mountain ironwort

Sideritis scardica Griseb. - Mountain Tea, Ironwort, Shepherd's Tea

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