Origanum Explained

Origanum ([1]) is a genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. They are native to Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia, where they are found in open or mountainous habitats. A few species also naturalized in scattered locations in North America and other regions.[2] [3] [4] [5]

The plants have strongly aromatic leaves and abundant tubular flowers with long-lasting coloured bracts. The genus includes the important group of culinary herbs: marjoram (Origanum majorana) and oregano (Origanum vulgare).[6] [7]

With their decorative bracts, Origanum species and cultivars are used as ornamental plants in the garden. The cultivars 'Kent Beauty'[8] and 'Rosenkuppel'[9] have received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Origanum species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including Coleophora albitarsella.

Species[2]

  1. Origanum acutidens (Hand.-Mazz.) Ietsw. – Turkey, Iraq
  2. Origanum × adanense Baser & H.Duman – Turkey (O. bargyli × O. laevigatum)
  3. Origanum × adonidis Mouterde – Lebanon (O. libanoticum × O. syriacum subsp. bevanii)
  4. Origanum akhdarense Ietsw. & Boulos – Cyrenaica region of eastern Libya
  5. Origanum amanum Post – Hatay region of Turkey
  6. Origanum × barbarae Bornm. – Lebanon (O. ehrenbergii × O. syriacum subsp. bevanii)
  7. Origanum bargyli Mouterde – Turkey, Syria
  8. Origanum bilgeri P.H.Davis - Antalya region of Turkey
  9. Origanum boissieri Ietsw. – Turkey
  10. Origanum calcaratum Juss. – Greece
  11. Origanum compactum Benth. - Spain, Morocco
  12. Origanum cordifolium (Montbret & Aucher ex Benth.) Vogel – Cyprus
  13. Origanum cyrenaicum Bég. & Vacc. – Cyrenaica region of eastern Libya
  14. Origanum dayi Post – Israel
  15. Origanum dictamnus L.  - hop marjoram, Cretan dittany, dittany of Crete – endemic to Crete
  16. Origanum × dolichosiphon P.H.Davis – Seyhan region of Turkey (O. amanum × O. laevigatum)
  17. Origanum ehrenbergii Boiss. – Lebanon
  18. Origanum elongatum (Bonnet) Emb. & Maire – Morocco
  19. Origanum floribundum Munby – Algeria
  20. Origanum × haradjanii Rech.f – Turkey (O. laevigatum × O. syriacum subsp. bevanii)
  21. Origanum haussknechtii Boiss. – Turkey
  22. Origanum husnucan-baseri H.Duman, Aytac & A.Duran – Turkey
  23. Origanum hypericifolium O.Schwarz & P.H.Davis – Turkey
  24. Origanum × intercedens Rech.f. – Greece, Turkey (O. onites × O. vulgare subsp. hirtum)
  25. Origanum × intermedium P.H.Davis – Denizli region of Turkey (O. onites × O. sipyleum)
  26. Origanum isthmicum Danin – Sinai
  27. Origanum jordanicum Danin & Kunne – Jordan
  28. Origanum laevigatum Boiss. – Turkey, Syria, Cyprus
  29. Origanum leptocladum Boiss. - Turkey
  30. Origanum libanoticum Boiss. – Lebanon
  31. Origanum majorana L.  - (sweet) marjoram – Turkey, Cyprus; naturalized in scattered locations in Europe, North Africa, North + South America
  32. Origanum × lirium Heldr. ex Halácsy – Greece (O. scabrum × O. vulgare subsp. hirtum)
  33. Origanum × majoricum Cambess.  - hardy sweet marjoram – Spain including Balearic Islands (O. majorana × O. vulgare subsp. virens)
  34. Origanum microphyllum (Benth.) Vogel – Crete
  35. Origanum × minoanum P.H.Davis - Crete (O. microphyllum × O. vulgare subsp. hirtum)
  36. Origanum minutiflorum O.Schwarz & P.H.Davis – Turkey
  37. Origanum munzurense Kit Tan & Sorger – Turkey
  38. Origanum × nebrodense Tineo ex Lojac – Sicily (O. majorana × O. vulgare subsp. viridulum)
  39. Origanum onites L. – Greece, Turkey, Sicily
  40. Origanum × pabotii Mouterde – Syria (O. bargyli × O. syriacum subsp. bevanii)
  41. Origanum pampaninii (Brullo & Furnari) Ietsw – Cyrenaica region of eastern Libya
  42. Origanum petraeum Danin – Jordan
  43. Origanum punonense Danin – Jordan
  44. Origanum ramonense Danin – Levant
  45. Origanum rotundifolium Boiss. – Turkey, Caucasus
  46. Origanum saccatum P.H.Davis – Turkey
  47. Origanum scabrum Boiss. & Heldr. in P.E.Boissier – Greece
  48. Origanum sipyleum L. -Turkey, Greek Islands
  49. Origanum solymicum P.H.Davis – Antalya region of Turkey
  50. Origanum symes Carlström – Islands of the Aegean Sea
  51. Origanum syriacum L. – Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Sinai, Saudi Arabia
  52. Origanum vetteri Briq. & Barbey – Crete
  53. Origanum vogelii Greuter & Burdet – Turkey
  54. Origanum vulgare L. – oregano – Europe, North Africa, temperate Asia (Iran, Siberia, Central Asia, China, etc.); naturalized in parts of North America, New Zealand, Venezuela

Formerly placed here

External links

Notes and References

  1. Oxford English Dictionary, first edition, entry "origanum"
  2. Web site: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. wcsp.science.kew.org.
  3. http://luirig.altervista.org/flora/taxa/floraspecie.php?genere=Origanum Altervista Flora Italiana, genere Origanum
  4. Web site: Origanum vulgare in Flora of China @ efloras.org. www.efloras.org.
  5. Web site: 2013 BONAP North American Plant Atlas. TaxonMaps. bonap.net.
  6. Book: RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. 2008. Dorling Kindersley. United Kingdom. 978-1405332965. 1136.
  7. Bouchra. Chebli. Chemical composition and antifungal activity of essential oils of seven Moroccan Labiatae against Botrytis cinerea Pers: Fr. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 89. 1. 165–169. 2003. 10.1016/S0378-8741(03)00275-7. 14522450. Achouri. Mohamed. Idrissi Hassani. L.M. Hmamouchi. Mohamed. etal.
  8. Web site: Origanum 'Kent Beauty' . RHS . 18 January 2021.
  9. Web site: Origanum 'Rosenkuppel' . RHS . 18 January 2021.

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