''Mesosphaerum suaveolens'', synonym ''Hyptis suaveolens'', the pignut or chan, is a branching

pseudocereal A pseudocereal or pseudograin is one of any non-grasses that are used in much the same way as cereals (true cereals are grasses). Pseudocereals can be further distinguished from other non-cereal staple crops (such as potatoes) by their being pro ...

plant native to

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

regions of

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

, the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

, and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

, as well as being naturalized in tropical parts of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It is generally tall, occasionally up to . Stems are hairy, and square in cross section.

Leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are oppositely arranged, long, with shallowly toothed margins, and emit a strong minty odor if crushed.

Flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are pink or purple, arranged in clusters of 1–5 in the upper leaf axils.

Traditional Uses

Studies have found that ''M. suaveolens'' is effective as an insecticide.Cyrille Adda, Pierre Atachi, Kerstin Hell, and Manuele Tamò. Potential use of the Bushmint, ''M. suaveolens'', for the Control of Infestation by the Pink Stalk Borer, ''Sesamia calamistis'', on Maize in Southern Benin, West Africa
/ref>Conti et al. ''Hyptis suaveolens'' and ''Hyptis spicigera'' (''Lamiaceae'') essential oils:qualitative analysis, contact toxicity and repellent activity against ''Sitophilus granarius''.
/ref> ''Mesosphaerum suaveolens'' can be made into a refreshing drink by soaking the seeds in water and refrigerating the mix. Some people add

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

or other

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Lemon, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and lim ...

to improve the taste. In Colima, Mexico, people use the ''M. suaveolens'' seeds to prepare a traditional beverage called "Bate." The process consists in roasting and grinding the seeds and then mixing the resulting powder with water. ''M. suaveolens'' is also a traditional treatment for

diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin w ...

References

External links

Making Chan drink (spanish)

Using Chan as insecticide (spanish)

Evaluation as Alternative Crop for Food and Drugs (spanish)

Chan used as diarrhea treatment (spanish)

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q2235341, from2=Q50846819 Lamiaceae Edible nuts and seeds Flora of Mexico Flora of Central America Flora of South America Flora of the Caribbean Plants described in 1759 Flora without expected TNC conservation status

Traditional Uses

See also

References

External links