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Nutlets of 20 taxa of Phlomoides, representing most of the currently recognized sections were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The basic shape of nutlets in most taxa studied is broadly ovate, but ovate, triangular and oblong ones can also be found in few species. Regarding the sculpturing pattern of nutlet surface, four basic types can be distinguished: reticulate, scalariform, ruminate and rugose. The reticulate type is the most common among the studied species, but the variation in alignment, size and shape of its composing cells provide further evidence that are useful as diagnostic characteristics. However, the type of sculpturing is more useful for separating species within the sections, rather than correlating them to each other. For example, sect. Filipendula show four different types of sculpturing. Therefore, nutlet microsculpturing is not useful in separating large natural groups like sections in this genus. It seems also that contrary to other genera of Lamiaceae, nutlet characters are of low phylogenetic value in this genus.
 

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Nutlets of 20 taxa of the tribe Marrubieae were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and detailed descriptions of nutlet micromorphological features for all examined taxa are provided. The nutlets exhibited variation in size, shape, color and surface sculpturing. The nutlets shape of most species studied is ovate, but rounded, broad ovate, elliptic, lanceolate, triangular and oblong can also be found in a few species. Six basic types of the sculpturing pattern of nutlet surface can be distinguished: reticulate, foveolate, scalariform, ruminate, pusticulate and colliculate-granulate. The most common type of nutlet sculpturing among the studied species is reticulate, but the variation in size and shape of their composing cells provided useful diagnostic characters. Our investigation revealed that the type of sculpturing was more useful in taxon delimitation among Marrubium species and allies at the species rank.

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Iran, having about 79 species of the genus Lamiaceae, is one of the regions of origin of this genus. About 77% of the identified species of the mentioned genus in Iran have been registered as exclusive species. There is an Iranian Nepeta species, which was previously taken as a separate species in botanical reference sources, but has been reclassified as a variety of Nepeta kotschyi in the flora of Iran (Jamzad, 2012). In this research, the correctness of the taxonomic position of these two species by examining their various morphological and micromorphological traits such as plant height, leaf size, canopy, type of hairs and nuts, using stereo electron microscope (SEM) photos and SPSS statistical studies. The results of morphological and microstructural studies of the two species N. persica and N. kotschyi showed that there is a significant difference in the characteristics such as the shape of the leaf, the hairs of its apertures and also the height of the two species. Although these differences in the size and shape of the seeds were not clearly observed, in this study, both N. kotschyi and N. persica species had reticulated nuts with papilus. Also, the appearance of the long hairs on the leaves of the two species is completely different. The hairs in N. persica species have papilus, but the hairs in N. persica species have a smooth surface. Therefore, it was suggested that the two species are independent.