''Perilla'' is a genus consisting of one major Asiatic crop species ''

Perilla frutescens ''Perilla frutescens'', commonly called deulkkae, perilla or Korean perilla, is a species of ''Perilla'' in the mint family Lamiaceae. It is an annual plant native to Southeast Asia and Indian highlands, and is traditionally grown in the Korean ...

'' and a few wild species in nature belonging to the mint family,

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 ...

. The genus encompasses several distinct varieties of Asian

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 ...

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

, and

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...

crop A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. When the plants of the same kind are cultivated at one place on a large scale, it is called a crop. Most crops are cultivated in agriculture or hydroponic ...

, including '' P. frutescens'' (deulkkae) and ''P. frutescens'' var. ''crispa'' (shiso). The

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

name ''Perilla'' is also a frequently employed common name ("perilla"), applicable to all varieties. Perilla varieties are cross-fertile and intra-specific

hybridization Hybridization (or hybridisation) may refer to: *Hybridization (biology), the process of combining different varieties of organisms to create a hybrid *Orbital hybridization, in chemistry, the mixing of atomic orbitals into new hybrid orbitals *Nu ...

occurs naturally. Some varieties are considered

invasive Invasive may refer to: *Invasive (medical) procedure *Invasive species *Invasive observation, especially in reference to surveillance *Invasively progressive spread of disease from one organ in the body to another, especially in reference to cancer ...

Taxa and synonyms

The classification of ''Perilla'' is confused, partly because botanists struggled with distinguishing the two distinct cultigens as different species or variations. Until a few decades ago, ''P. frutescens'' var. ''crispa'' was regarded as a species in its own right, distinct from ''P. frutescens'', although it was well established that these types readily cross-pollinate. An early example of dividing the two cultigens into different species is found in Matsumura's 1884 nomenclature book, where the synonym ''P. arguta'' Benth. is applied to ''P. frutescens'' var. ''crispa'', and the synonym ''P. ocymoides'' L. was applied to ''P.'' frutescens. The species name ''P. ocymoides'' or ''P. ocimoides'' has historically been used to denote ''P. frutescens'' var. ''crispa'', especially by the Japanese, therefore it should not be considered an interchangeable synonym for either cultigen. Recent genetic research confirms that the cultigens are of a common gene pool, corroborating the taxonomists' claim for consolidating the two crops into one species. Existing ''Perilla species'': * ''P. frutescens'' – also called Korean perilla or ''deulkkae''; the leaves are called ''kkaennip'' ** ''P. f.'' var. ''crispa'' – also called ''shiso'', ''tía tô'', or Japanese basil ** ''P. f.'' var. ''hirtella'' – also called lemon perilla Possible ''Perilla'' species with insufficient description and without known herbarium specimens include: * ''P. cavaleriei'' H.Lév. * ''P. heteromorpha'' Carrière * ''P. setoyensis'' G.Honda The past legacies and subsequent reclassification of taxa has led to confusion of nomenclature. The red or purple leafed variety of ''P. frutescens'' var. ''crispa'' had been dubbed ''P. nankinensis'', and this label was used throughout the 19th century in the West following the introduction of the species for

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 i ...

ing. Whether green-leafed or red-leafed, the perillaldehyde factor that characterizes the unique ''P. frutescens'' var. ''crispa'' fragrance may turn out to be present or absent in the individual or population, and this is not differentiable from outward appearance alone. Chemical studies classify the genus into different

chemotype A chemotype (sometimes chemovar) is a chemically distinct entity in a plant or microorganism, with differences in the composition of the secondary metabolites. Minor genetic and epigenetic changes with little or no effect on morphology or anatomy m ...

s, depending on the essential oils they contain. Three wild species that are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to Japan are recognized as genetically distinct from the cultivated ''P. frutescens'' var. ''crispa'', however, some references treat, e.g., ''P. frutescens var. hirtella'' as the same species as the ''P. frutescens'' var. ''crispa''.

Formerly placed here

* ''P. elata'' = ''

Elsholtzia blanda ''Elsholtzia'' is a plant genus in the Lamiaceae (mint family). It is widespread across much of temperate and tropical Asia from Siberia south to China, Northeastern India, Indonesia, etc. The genus was named in honour of the Prussian naturalist ...

'' * ''P. fruticosa'' = ''

Elsholtzia fruticosa ''Elsholtzia'' is a plant genus in the Lamiaceae (mint family). It is widespread across much of temperate and tropical Asia from Siberia south to China, Northeastern India, Indonesia, etc. The genus was named in honour of the Prussian naturalist ...

'' * ''P. lanceolata'' = '' Mosla scabra'' * ''P. leptostachya'' = '' Elsholtzia stachyodes'' '' * ''P. marathrosma'' = ''

Agastache foeniculum ''Agastache foeniculum'' (blue giant hyssop; syn. ''Agastache anethiodora'' (Nutt.) Britton), commonly called anise hyssop, blue giant hyssop, Fragrant giant hyssop, or the lavender giant hyssop, is a species of perennial plant in the mint fam ...

'' * ''P. nankinensis'' = ''

Plectranthus scutellarioides ''Coleus scutellarioides'', commonly known as coleus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae (the mint or deadnettle family), native to southeast Asia through to Australia. Typically growing to tall and wide, it is a bushy, woo ...

'' * ''P. polystachya'' = ''

Elsholtzia ciliata ''Elsholtzia ciliata'', commonly known as Vietnamese balm, xiang ru (香薷) or ''kinh giới'' in Vietnamese, is a plant native to Asia. In the US, it can go by the name Crested Late Summer Mint. In US Vietnamese grocery stores, it is called Kin ...

Use

Culinary use

Perilla varieties are cultivated and consumed mainly in

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

and

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

. '' P. frutescens'' leaves, seeds, and seed oil are used extensively in

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...

, while ''P. frutescens'' var. ''crispa'' leaves, seeds, and sprouts are used in Japanese and

Vietnamese cuisine Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam. Meals feature a combination of five fundamental tastes ( vi, ngũ vị, links=no, label=none): sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and spicy. The distinctive nature of each dish reflec ...

Herbalism

Perilla is one of the 50 fundamental herbs in

Traditional Chinese Medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...

. It is called "zi su" (紫苏/紫蘇), and is used to disperse wind-cold, bloating, and stomach and lung problems. It is sometimes paired with Tu Huo Xiang or Guang Huo Xiang to dispel dampness and tonify qi.

Notes

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7168518 Herbs Medicinal plants Lamiaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Lamiaceae