Nepeta nepetella explained

Nepeta nepetella, common name lesser cat-mint, is a low-growing species of catnip belonging to the family Lamiaceae. It is native to France, Spain, Italy, Algeria, and Morocco.^{[1] [2]}

Subspecies^[1]

1. Nepeta nepetella subsp. aragonensis (Lam.) Nyman - Spain, Algeria, Morocco
2. Nepeta nepetella subsp. laciniata (Willk.) Aedo - Sierra Nevada of southern Spain
3. Nepeta nepetella subsp. murcica (Guirão ex Willk.) Aedo - Morocco, southern Spain
4. Nepeta nepetella subsp. nepetella - Pyrenees, western Alps, + Apennines of Spain, France, Italy

Description

Nepeta nepetella can reach a height of 40-. This perennial very variable plant has usually green crenate leaves and produces in summer spikes with bluish-violet small flowers about 1- long.^{[3] [4]}

Uses

Nepetella, as it is commonly called (other names include nepeta, nepitella) is used in Tuscan cooking, often for mushrooms and artichokes.^{[5] [6]} Due to the difficulty in obtaining nepetella, many recipes have been rewritten to contain oregano and mint.

Notes and References

1. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=134823 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant families
2. Web site: Nepeta nepetella [Gattaia minore] - Flora Italiana]. luirig.altervista.org.
3. Web site: Home. Alpine Garden Society.
4. Web site: BioLib: Biological library. Ondrej. Zicha. www.biolib.cz.
5. Web site: Nepetella . www.ortoricci.it . 13 May 2020.
6. Web site: Mentuccia, nepetella o nepitella? Facciamo un po' di chiarezza . Valfrutta . 14 May 2020 . it.