''Lippia'' is a genus of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the
verbena
''Verbena'' (), also known as vervain or verveine, is a genus in the family Verbenaceae. It contains about 150 species of annual and perennial herbaceous or semi-woody flowering plants. The majority of the species are native to the Americas a ...
family,
Verbenaceae
The Verbenaceae ( ), the verbena family or vervain family, is a family of mainly tropical flowering plants. It contains trees, shrubs, and herbs notable for heads, spikes, or clusters of small flowers, many of which have an aromatic smell.
The ...
. It was named after
Augustus Lippi, (1678-1705), a French naturalist and botanist (with Italian origins). He was killed in
Abyssinia
The Ethiopian Empire (), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or just simply known as Ethiopia (; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ , , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: ''Itiyoophiyaa''), was an empire that historica ...
. The genus contains roughly 200 species of
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 ...
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
s that are found around the world. Plants are fragrant due to their
essential oil
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...
s, which vary between species but may include
estragole,
carvacrol
Carvacrol, or cymophenol, C6H3(CH3)(OH)C3H7, is a monoterpenoid phenol. It has a characteristic pungent, warm odor of oregano.
Natural occurrence
Carvacrol is present in the essential oil of ''Origanum vulgare'' (oregano), oil of thyme, oil ob ...
,
linalool
Linalool () refers to two enantiomers of a naturally occurring terpene alcohol found in many flowers and spice plants. Linalool has multiple commercial applications, the majority of which are based on its pleasant scent (floral, with a touch of ...
, or
limonene. The
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 ...
of certain species, such as ''
L. graveolens'', can be used as a culinary
herb
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
similar to
oregano
Oregano (, ; ''Origanum vulgare'') is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. It was native to the Mediterranean region, but widely naturalised elsewhere in the temperate Northern Hemisphere.
Oregano is a woody perennial pla ...
.
Selected species
* ''
Lippia abyssinica
''Lippia abyssinica'', or koseret ( am, ኮሰረት , translit=koserēt), is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. It is endemic to Ethiopia but cultivated throughout tropical African countries. The specific epithe ...
''
(Otto
Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', ''Odo'', ''Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity".
The name is recorded fro ...
& A.Dietr.
Albert Gottfried Dietrich (8 November 1795 – 22 May 1856) was a German botanist born in Danzig.
Dietrich was curator at the Botanical Garden in Berlin and was an instructor at the institute of horticulture at Berlin-Schöneberg. From 1833 to 185 ...
) Cufod. – Koseret; (Ethiopia)
* ''
Lippia alba
''Lippia alba'' is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family, Verbenaceae, that is native to southern Texas in the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
In Ethiopia the plant is also known as Coser ...
''
(Mill.) N.E.Br. ex Britton & P.Wilson – Bushy lippia, white lippia (
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
in the
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 territorie ...
,
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 ...
, the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
,
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
, 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 ...
)
* ''
Lippia carterae
''Lippia alba'' is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family, Verbenaceae, that is native to southern Texas in the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
In Ethiopia the plant is also known as Coser ...
''
(Moldenke) G.L.Nesom – Licorice verbena (
Baja California
Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
, Mexico)
* ''
Lippia durangensis
''Lippia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. It was named after Augustus Lippi, (1678-1705), a French naturalist and botanist (with Italian origins). He was killed in Abyssinia. The genus contains roughly 200 s ...
''
Moldenke
* ''
Lippia graveolens
''Lippia graveolens'', a species of flowering plant in the verbena or vervain family, Verbenaceae, is native to the southwestern United States (Texas and southern New Mexico), Mexico, and Central America as far south as Nicaragua. Common names i ...
''
Kunth – Mexican oregano, scented lippia, scented matgrass (
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...
, Mexico, and Central America as far south as
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
)
* ''
Lippia javanica''
(Burm.f.) Spreng.
* ''
Lippia kituiensis''
Vatke
* ''
Lippia micromera''
Schauer – Spanish thyme (Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America)
* ''
Lippia multiflora''
Moldenke
* ''
Lippia myriocephala''
Schltdl. & Cham.
* ''
Lippia palmeri''
S.Watson
* ''
Lippia pretoriensis''
H.Pearson
* ''
Lippia rehmannii''
H.Pearson
* ''
Lippia salicifolia''
Andersson
Andersson (previously Andjersson) is a Swedish language surname, a form of the surname Anderson. ''Andersson'' is, if several spelling variants are included, the most common surname in Sweden.Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
)
* '' Lippia scaberrima'' Sond.
* '' Lippia sidoides'' Cham.
Formerly placed here
* ''
Aloysia citrodora
''Aloysia citrodora'', lemon verbena, is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family Verbenaceae, native to South America. Other common names include lemon beebrush. It was brought to Europe by the Spanish and the Portuguese in the 17th ce ...
''
Palau (as ''L. citrodora''
Kunth or ''L. triphylla''
(L'Hér.) Kuntze)
* ''
Aloysia lycioides''
Cham. (as ''L. lycioides''
(Cham.) Steud.)
* ''
Aloysia scorodonioides''
(Kunth) Cham. (as ''L. scorodonioides''
Kunth or ''L. wrightii''
A.Gray ex Torr.)
* ''
Lantana montevidensis
''Lantana montevidensis'' is a species of lantana known by many common names, such as: trailing lantana, weeping lantana, creeping lantana, small lantana, purple lantana or trailing shrubverbena.
This lantana is native to South America.
Descrip ...
''
(Spreng.) Briq. (as ''L. montevidensis''
Spreng.)
* ''
Lantana ukambensis
''Lantana'' () is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in ...
''
(Vatke) Verdc. (as ''L. ukambensis''
Vatke)
* ''
Mulguraea ligustrina
''Mulguraea'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Verbenaceae.
Its native range is Peru to southern South America. It is found in the countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru.
The genus name of ''Mulguraea'' is in hono ...
''
(Lag.) N.O'Leary & P.Peralta (as ''L. ligustrina''
(Lag.) Britton)
* ''
Phyla canescens
''Phyla canescens'' is a species of perennial herbaceous plant in the family Verbenaceae, native to South America. It has been introduced to Australia as an ornamental plant and low-maintenance lawn, but has become naturalised and is considered a ...
''
(Kunth) Greene (as ''L. canescens''
Kunth or ''L. filiformis''
Schrad.)
* ''
Phyla cuneifolia''
(Torr.) Greene (as ''L. cuneifolia''
(Torr.) Steud.)
* ''
Phyla dulcis
''Phyla dulcis'' (synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''Lippia dulcis'') is a species of Perennial plant, perennial herbaceous plant that is native to southern Mexico, the Caribbean (Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico), Central America, Colombia, and Venezue ...
''
(Trevir.) Moldenke (as ''L. dulcis''
Trevir.)
* ''
Phyla lanceolata''
(Michx.) Greene (as ''L. lanceolata''
Michx.)
* ''
Phyla nodiflora''
(L.) Greene (as ''L. nodiflora''
(L.) Michx. or ''L. repens''
Spreng.)
* ''
Phyla stoechadifolia''
(L.) Small (as ''L. stoechadifolia''
(L.) Kunth)
References
Verbenaceae genera
Herbs
{{verbenaceae-stub