Balingu shahri, Dragon's head
Lallemantia iberica

Family: Lamiaceae

What it is like

A herb about 0.5 m high. The leaves are under 2.5 cm long. They are oval with scalloped edges. The flowers are blue or white.

There are about 5 Lellemantia species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It prefers a cool situation. It grows to 2150 m in Turkey. It suits a light well drained soil in a sunny position. It suits plant hardiness zone 7.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia Minor, Caucasus, Central Asia, Europe, Iran, Mediterranean, Middle East, Palestine, Spain, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Türkiye

How it is used for food

The leaves are cooked and eaten. The seed is eaten raw or cooked. An edible oil is obtained from the seed.

It is popular in Iran. It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Leaves, seeds, seeds-oil

How it is grown

It is grown from seed sown where they are to grow. The seed germinate very quickly.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Dracocephalum aristatum Bertol.; Dracocephalum ibericum Bieb.; Lallemantia kopetdaghensis Boriss.; Lallemantia sulphurea K. Koch;