Lamiaceae

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Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)


Plant Characteristics
Cultivation
Scientific Names

Lamiaceae >



Read about Lamiaceae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are also known as the mint family. Labiatae (the name refers to the 2-lipped [bilabiate] character of the corolla of most species). Mint Family. Herbs or shrubs, commonly with a four-angled stem, and usually containing a fragrant oil: leaves opposite or whorled: flowers bisexual, very rarely unisexual, irregular, rarely regular, usually bilabiate; calyx 5-toothed or cleft, regular or 2-lipped; corolla 5-lobed, rarely 4-lobed, gamopetalous and hypogynous, 1 lip sometimes obsolete, the lobes imbricated; stamens 4, didynamous, or only 2, epipetalous; hypogynous disk well developed, thick, entire or lobed; ovary superior, of 2 carpels, deeply 4-lobed, 4-celled, each cell 1-ovuled; style basal or sub-basal; stigmas 2: fruit of 4 1-eeeded nutlets; the ectocarp rarely fleshy.

One hundred and fifty-seven genera and about 2,800 species are distributed over the whole earth, but are especially abundant in the Mediterranean region and the orient; they are also abundant in the mountains of the subtropics. The larger genera are Salvia, 500 species; Hyptis, 300 species; Stachys, 180-200 species; Scutellaria, 180 species; Nepeta, 150 species; Satureia, 130 species; and Teucrium, 100 species. The family is related to the Verbenaceae and to the Boraginaceae, also to the Scrophulariaceae and Acanthaceae. The 4-angled stem, fragrant oil, 4-lobed ovary, the solitary ovules, and the basal style are distinctive. This is a difficult family for the student. The characters for separating the genera reside mostly in the calyx, corolla and stamens. The nutlets are less important in classification than in the Boraginaceae.

Owing to the volatile oil and bitter principles, the Labiatae are of more than usual economic importance: Scutellaria lateriflora (skullcap), tonic, nervine; Salvia officinalis (garden sage), tonic, also used as a condiment; Marrubium vulgare (hoarhound), tonic, anthelmintic, and expectorant; Hedeoma pulegioides (American pennyroyal), carminative and stimulant; Mentha spicata (spearmint) and Mentha piperita (peppermint), carminative; Mentha Pulegium (European pennyroyal), carminative; mints are also used as condiments. The following oils are from Labiatae: Oil of thyme (Thymus Serpyllum); rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis); Lavender (Lavandula officinalis); spike (Lavandula Spica); origanum (Origanum Majorana). Catnip (Nepeta Cataria) is a family sudorific. Mother-wort (Leo-nurus Cardiaca) is a family stimulant and bitters. The leaves of lavender and patchouli (Pogostemon Patchouli) are used to keep insects from woolens, furs, and the like. Many other species have been used locally for various purposes.

Fifty or more genera are in cultivation in North America. Most of these are garden annuals or hardy perennials cultivated for the flavor or odor, for ornamental purposes, or for medicine. Among these are: Acanthomintha (Thorny Mint); Ajuga (Bugle Weed); Cedronella (Balm of Gilead); Coleus; Collinsonia (Horse-balm, Horse-weed, Stonewort); Cunila (Maryland Dittany); Hedeoma (American Pennyroyal); Hyssopus (Hyssop), hardy shrub; Lamium (Dead Nettle); Lavandula (Lavender) ; Leonotis (Lion's Ear, Lion's Tail); Lophanthus (Giant Hyssop); Marrubium (Hore-hound); Melissa (Balm); Mentha (Mint, Spearmint, Peppermint, Japanese Mint, Bergamot Mint, Black Mint, White Mint, European Pennyroyal); Micromeria (Yerba Buena); Moluccella (Shell Flower, Molucca Balm); Monarda (Horsemint, Oswego Tea, Bee-balm, Fragrant Bahn, Wild Bergamot); Nepeta (Catnip, Ground Ivy, Gill-run-over-the-ground); Ocimum (Basil); Origanum (Marjoram); Phlomis (Jerusalem Sage); Physostegia (False Dragonhead, Obedient Plant); Plectranthus (Cockle-spur Flower); Pogostemon (Patchouli Plant); Prunella or Brunella (Self-heal, Heal-all); Pycnanthemum (Mountain Mint); Rosmarinus (Rosemary, Old Man); Salvia (Sage, Clary, Scarlet Sage); Satureia (Savory); Scutellaria (Skull-cap); Stachys (Woundwort, Choro-gi, Chinese or Japanese Artichoke, Knot-root, Betony); Teucrium (Germander); Thymus (Thyme, Mother-of-Thyme); Trichostema (Blue Curls, Bastard Pennyroyal, Ramero); Westringia (Victorian Rosemary).CH


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


Genera

The genera in the enlarged familywp:


Acanthomintha
Achyrospermum
Acinos
Acrocephalus
Acrotome
Acrymia
Adelosa
Aegiphila
Aeollanthus
Agastache
Ajuga
Ajugoides
Alajja
Alvesia
Amasonia
Amethystea
Anisochilus
Anisomeles
Archboldia
Asterohyptis
Ballota
Basilicum
Becium
Benguellia
Blephilia
Bostrychanthera
Bovonia
Brazoria
Bystropogon
Calamintha
Callicarpa
Capitanopsis
Capitanya
Caryopteris
Catoferia
Cedronella
Ceratanthus
Chaiturus
Chamaesphacos
Chaunostoma
Chelonopsis
Chloanthes
Cleonia
Clerodendrum
Clinopodium
Colebrookea
Collinsonia
Colquhounia
Comanthosphace
Congea
Conradina
Coridothymus
Cornutia
Craniotome


Cryphia
Cuminia
Cunila
Cyanostegia
Cyclotrichium
Cymaria
Dauphinea
Dicerandra
Dicrastylis
Dorystaechas
Dracocephalum
Drepanocaryum
Elsholtzia
Endostemon
Englerastrum
Eremostachys
Eriope
Eriophyton
Eriopidion
Eriothymus
Erythrochlamys
Euhesperida
Eurysolen
Faradaya
Fuerstia
Galeopsis
Garrettia
Geniosporum
Glechoma
Glechon
Glossocarya
Gmelina
Gomphostemma
Gontscharovia
Hanceola
Haplostachys
Haumaniastrum
Hedeoma
Hemiandra
Hemigenia
Hemiphora
Hemizygia
Hesperozygis
Heterolamium
Hoehnea
Holmskioldia
Holocheila
Holostylon
Horminum
Hosea
Hoslundia
Hymenocrater
Hymenopyramis


Hypenia
Hypogomphia
Hyptidendron
Hyptis
Hyssopus
Isodictyophorus
Isodon
Isoleucas
Kalaharia
Karomia
Keiskea
Kudrjaschevia
Kurzamra
Lachnostachys
Lagochilus
Lagopsis
Lallemantia
Lamiophlomis
Lamium
Lavandula
Leocus
Leonotis
Leonurus
Lepechinia
Leucas
Leucophae
Leucosceptrum
Limniboza
Lophanthus
Loxocalyx
Lycopus
Macbridea
Mallophora
Marmoritis
Marrubium
Marsypianthes
Meehania
Melissa
Melittis
Mentha
Meriandra
Mesona
Metastachydium
Microcorys
Micromeria
Microtoena
Minthostachys
Moluccella
Monarda
Monardella
Monochilus
Mosla
Neoeplingia


Neohyptis
Neorapinia
Nepeta (Catnip)
Newcastelia
Nosema
Notochaete
Ocimum
Octomeron
Ombrocharis
Oncinocalyx
Origanum
Orthosiphon
Otostegia
Oxera
Panzerina
Paralamium
Paraphlomis
Paravitex
Peltodon
Pentapleura
Perilla
Perillula
Peronema
Perovskia
Perrierastrum
Petitia
Petraeovitex
Phlomidoschema
Phlomis
Phyllostegia
Physopsis
Physostegia
Piloblephis
Pitardia
Pityrodia
Platostoma
Plectranthus
Pogogyne
Pogostemon
Poliomintha
Prasium
Premna
Prostanthera
Prunella
Pseuderemostachys
Pseudocarpidium
Pseudomarrubium
Puntia
Pycnanthemum
Pycnostachys
Rabdosiella
Renschia
Rhabdocaulon


Raphidion
Rhododon
Rosmarinus
Rostrinucula
Rotheca
Roylea
Rubiteucris
Sabaudia
Saccocalyx
Salazaria
Salvia
Satureja
Schizonepeta
Schnabelia
Scutellaria
Sideritis
Solenostemon
Spartothamnella
Sphenodesme
Stachydeoma
Stachyopsis
Stachys
Stenogyne
Sulaimania
Suzukia
Symphorema
Symphostemon
Synandra
Syncolostemon
Tectona
Teijsmanniodendron
Tetraclea
Tetradenia
Teucridium
Teucrium
Thorncroftia
Thuspeinanta
Thymbra
Thymus
Tinnea
Trichostema
Tsoongia
Vitex
Viticipremna
Warnockia
Wenchengia
Westringia
Wiedemannia
Wrixonia
Xenopoma
Zataria
Zhumeria
Ziziphora

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References

External links