''Cunila origanoides'', with the common names stone mint, frost mint, dittany, and American dittany, is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

late-summer-flowering subshrub with small purple flowers that is native to the central and eastern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. It belongs to the Lamiaceae (mint) family and is the only species in the ''Cunila'' genus native to the United States. It grows in habitats such as dry forests and the thin soil around rock outcrops. This species has historically been cultivated for use as a

medicinal herb Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for various functions, including defense and protection ag ...

, tea, and

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

Description

''C. origanoides'' is a low, shrublike plant with square, stiff, branching stems, growing tall. In the spring, the stems are purple, turning red when the plant is in bloom, then brown and woody in the fall. Leaves are opposite and measure long. They are

sessile Sessility, or sessile, may refer to: * Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about * Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant * Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...

or have very short petioles. They are

lanceolate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular ...

ovate Ovate may refer to: * Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe *Ovates, one of three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd *Vates In modern English, the nouns vates () and ova ...

, or ovate-cordate, with finely toothed margins. When crushed, the leaves give off a strong mint aroma. American dittany in December

Small purple or lavender flowers, measuring up to long, appear in clusters of cymes at the end of branches. The flowers are tubular with 4 flared lobes. The 2 stamens and the style are twice as long as the corolla and stick out noticeably.

Distribution and habitat

The plant is native in the United States from Texas to the west and south, Illinois and New York to the north, and North Carolina to the east. It is found in dry areas in upland rocky woodlands, rocky slopes and ridges, and semi-shaded areas of sandstone cliffs.

Ecology

The plant blooms in the late summer and fall, and butterflies, bees, and other insects are attracted to the flowers. It is a host plant for the moth '' Stephensia cunilae''. ''C. origanoides'' is one of the few plants that are known to produce

frost flowers A frost flower or ice flower is formed when thin layers of ice are extruded from long-stemmed plants in autumn or early winter. The thin layers of ice are often formed into exquisite patterns that curl into "petals" that resemble flowers. Typ ...

Uses

The leaves of ''C. origanoides'', either fresh or dried, have been used for making tea with a pleasant, mint flavor. The tea can also be used for headaches, colds, and fevers, as well as for inducing menstruation and perspiration. Cunila oil, an essential oil, can be used as an antiseptic, aromatic and stimulant. File:Cunila origanoides drawing 1.png

References

External links

Henriette's HerbalPlants for a Future
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5194277 Lamiaceae Plants described in 1759 Flora of the Eastern United States