Sideritis species are widely used in traditional medicine for their beneficial and curative effects. Two rare Turkish endemic Sideritis species, S. cilicica Boiss. & Bal. and S. niveotomentosa Hub.-Mor. which are growing in Southern Anatolia are very close to each other by means of taxonomic features. In this study we have explained detailed morphological characteristics of these two Sideritis species, which belong to Section Empedoclia (Rafın) Bentham, along with their conservation status, chorology, habitat and etymology of the plant names. Diagnostic morphological features were illustrated and given comparatively.
Keywords: Labiatae, Sideritis, S. cilicica, S. niveotomentosa, morphology, endemic, Turkey