''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

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 wide ...

s and

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short shrub, and is a woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Der ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory ...

, native to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

, and much of temperate

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 ...

, where they are found in open or mountainous habitats. A few species also naturalized in scattered locations in North America and other regions. The plants have strongly aromatic leaves and abundant tubular flowers with long-lasting coloured bracts. The genus includes the important group of 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 ...

marjoram Marjoram (; ''Origanum majorana'') is a cold-sensitive perennial herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavours. In some Middle Eastern countries, marjoram is synonymous with oregano, and there the names sweet marjoram and knotted mar ...

(''Origanum majorana'') and

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 ...

(''Origanum vulgare''). With their decorative bracts, ''Origanum'' species and cultivars are used as ornamental plants in the garden. The cultivars 'Kent Beauty' and 'Rosenkuppel' have received the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. ''Origanum'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

species, including '' Coleophora albitarsella''. ;Species # ''

Origanum acutidens ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, 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 scat ...

'' (Hand.-Mazz.) Ietsw. - Turkey, Iraq # ''

Origanum × adanense ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, 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 sc ...

'' Baser & H.Duman - Turkey ''(O. bargyli × O. laevigatum)'' # ''

Origanum × adonidis ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, 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 sc ...

'' Mouterde - Lebanon ''(O. libanoticum × O. syriacum ''subsp''. bevanii)'' # ''

Origanum akhdarense ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, 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 sc ...

'' Ietsw. & Boulos - Cyrenaica region of eastern Libya # ''

Origanum amanum ''Origanum amanum'', the Amanum oregano, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to the Hatay Province of southern Turkey, bordering on Syria. It is an evergreen subshrub growing to tall by wide, with strongly aromatic l ...

'' Post - Hatay region of Turkey # ''

Origanum × barbarae ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, 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 scatt ...

'' Bornm. - Lebanon ''(O. ehrenbergii × O. syriacum ''subsp''. bevanii)'' # ''

Origanum bargyli ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, 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 scatt ...

'' Mouterde - Turkey, Syria # ''

Origanum bilgeri ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, 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 scatt ...

'' P.H.Davis - Antalya region of Turkey # ''

Origanum boissieri ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, 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 scatt ...

'' Ietsw. - Turkey # ''

Origanum calcaratum ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, 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 scatt ...

'' Juss. - Greece # ''

Origanum compactum ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, 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 sc ...

'' Benth. - Spain, Morocco # ''

Origanum cordifolium ''Origanum cordifolium'' is a subshrub with suberect, cylindrical, hairless, often purplish shoots, 40–60 cm high. Leaves opposite, simple, entire or irregularly dentate, stalkless, ovoid to cordate, 1–2 x 0.8–2 cm, leathery, hair ...

'' (Montbret & Aucher ex Benth.) Vogel - Cyprus # ''

Origanum cyrenaicum ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, 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 scat ...

'' Bég. & Vacc. - Cyrenaica region of eastern Libya # '' Origanum dayi'' Post - Israel # ''

Origanum dictamnus ''Origanum dictamnus'', the dittany of Crete, Cretan dittany or hop marjoram, is a tender perennial plant that grows 20–30 cm high. It is known in Greek as ''δίκταμο'' (''díktamo'', cf. " dittany") or in the Cretan dialect as ''έ ...

'' L. – hop marjoram, Cretan dittany, dittany of Crete - endemic to Crete # '' Origanum × dolichosiphon'' P.H.Davis - Seyhan region of Turkey ''(O. amanum × O. laevigatum)'' # '' Origanum ehrenbergii'' Boiss. - Lebanon # ''

Origanum elongatum ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, 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 sc ...

'' (Bonnet) Emb. & Maire - Morocco # '' Origanum floribundum'' Munby - Algeria # '' Origanum × haradjanii'' Rech.f - Turkey ''(O. laevigatum × O. syriacum ''subsp''. bevanii)'' # '' Origanum haussknechtii'' Boiss. - Turkey # ''

Origanum husnucan-baseri ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, 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 sc ...

'' H.Duman, Aytac & A.Duran - Turkey # '' Origanum hypericifolium'' O.Schwarz & P.H.Davis - Turkey # '' Origanum × intercedens'' Rech.f. - Greece, Turkey ''(O. onites × O. vulgare ''subsp''. hirtum)'' # '' Origanum × intermedium'' P.H.Davis - Denizli region of Turkey ''(O. onites × O. sipyleum)'' # '' Origanum isthmicum'' Danin - Sinai # ''

Origanum jordanicum ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous plant, herbaceous perennial plant, perennials and subshrubs in the family (biology), family Lamiaceae, native to Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia, where they are found in open or mountain ...

'' Danin & Kunne - Jordan # '' Origanum laevigatum'' Boiss. - Turkey, Syria, Cyprus # '' Origanum leptocladum'' Boiss. - Turkey # '' Origanum libanoticum'' Boiss. - Lebanon # ''

Origanum majorana Marjoram (; ''Origanum majorana'') is a cold-sensitive perennial herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavours. In some Middle Eastern countries, marjoram is synonymous with oregano, and there the names sweet marjoram and knotted ma ...

'' L. – (sweet) marjoram - Turkey, Cyprus; naturalized in scattered locations in Europe, North Africa, North + South America # '' Origanum × lirium'' Heldr. ex Halácsy - Greece ''(O. scabrum × O. vulgare ''subsp''. hirtum)'' # '' Origanum × majoricum'' Cambess. – hardy sweet marjoram - Spain including Balearic Islands (O. majorana × O. vulgare subsp. virens) # '' Origanum microphyllum'' (Benth.) Vogel - Crete # '' Origanum × minoanum'' P.H.Davis - Crete ''(O. microphyllum × O. vulgare ''subsp''. hirtum)'' # '' Origanum minutiflorum'' O.Schwarz & P.H.Davis - Turkey # ''

Origanum munzurense ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, 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 sc ...

'' Kit Tan & Sorger - Turkey # ''

Origanum × nebrodense ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous plant, herbaceous perennial plant, perennials and subshrubs in the family (biology), family Lamiaceae, native to Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia, where they are found in open or mountain ...

'' Tineo ex Lojac - Sicily ''(O. majorana × O. vulgare ''subsp''. viridulum)'' # ''

Origanum onites ''Origanum onites'', the Cretan oregano, Greek oregano, pot marjoram or Ellinikí rίgani in Greek (Ελληνική ρίγανη), is a plant species in the genus ''Origanum'' found in Sicily, Greece and Turkey. It has similar flavors as oregan ...

'' L. - Greece, Turkey, Sicily # ''

Origanum × pabotii ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, 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 sc ...

'' Mouterde - Syria ''(O. bargyli × O. syriacum ''subsp''. bevanii)'' # '' Origanum pampaninii'' (Brullo & Furnari) Ietsw - Cyrenaica region of eastern Libya # '' Origanum petraeum'' Danin - Jordan # '' Origanum punonense'' Danin - Jordan # '' Origanum ramonense'' Danin - Levant # '' Origanum rotundifolium'' Boiss. - Turkey, Caucasus # '' Origanum saccatum'' P.H.Davis - Turkey # '' Origanum scabrum'' Boiss. & Heldr. in P.E.Boissier - Greece # '' Origanum sipyleum'' L. -Turkey, Greek Islands # '' Origanum solymicum'' P.H.Davis - Antalya region of Turkey # '' Origanum symes'' Carlström - Islands of the Aegean Sea # ''

Origanum syriacum ''Origanum syriacum''; syn. ''Majorana syriaca'' (also ''Origanum maru'', although this primarily refers to a hybrid of ''O. syriacum''), bible hyssop, Biblical-hyssop, Lebanese oregano or Syrian oregano, is an aromatic perennial herb in the mint ...

'' L. - Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Sinai, Saudi Arabia # '' Origanum vetteri'' Briq. & Barbey - Crete # '' Origanum vogelii'' Greuter & Burdet - Turkey # ''

Origanum vulgare 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 climate, temperate Northern Hemisphere. Oregano is a ...

'' L. -

- Europe, North Africa, temperate Asia (Iran, Siberia, Central Asia, China, etc.); naturalized in parts of North America, New Zealand, Venezuela

Formerly placed here

*''

Pogostemon benghalensis ''Pogostemon'' is a large genus from the family Lamiaceae, first described as a genus in 1815. It is native to warmer parts of Asia, Africa, and Australia. The best known member of this genus is patchouli, ''Pogostemon cablin'', widely cultivat ...

'' (Burm.f.) Kuntze (as ''O. benghalense'' Burm.f.)

References

External links

Herb Society of America Fact Sheet: Oregano and Marjoram (pdf)''Origanum dictamnus''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q205265 Lamiaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus