''Origanum onites'', the Cretan oregano, Greek oregano,
pot marjoram
[ or Ellinikí rίgani in Greek (Ελληνική ρίγανη), is a plant species in the genus '']Origanum
''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 s ...
'' found in Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
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, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
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, demographi ...
, Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
and Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
. It has similar flavors as oregano. Its essential oil can be distinguished from other species such as Greek oregano ('' Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum''). It has antimicrobial activities.
Chemistry
The plant contains the chemical compounds thymol
Thymol (also known as 2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol, IPMP), , is a natural monoterpenoid phenol derivative of ''p''-Cymene, isomeric with carvacrol, found in oil of thyme, and extracted from ''Thymus vulgaris'' (common thyme), ajwain, and vari ...
, carvacrol and cedrol
Cedrol is a sesquiterpene alcohol found in the essential oil of conifers (cedar oil), especially in the genera '' Cupressus'' (cypress) and ''Juniperus'' (juniper). It has also been identified in '' Origanum onites'', a plant related to oregano ...
.
References
External links
*
onites
Plants described in 1753
Flora of Turkey
Flora of Sicily
Flora of Greece
Medicinal plants
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
{{Lamiaceae-stub