''Satureja'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of aromatic
plant
Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclu ...
s of the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Lamiaceae, related to
rosemary
''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was known by the scientific name ''Rosmar ...
and
thyme
Thyme () is the herb (dried aerial parts) of some members of the genus '' Thymus'' of aromatic perennial evergreen herbs in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are relatives of the oregano genus ''Origanum'', with both plants being mostly indigen ...
. It is native to
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 ...
, southern and southeastern
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 subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
, the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
, and
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
. A few
New World
The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...
species were formerly included in ''Satureja'', but they have all been moved to other genera. Several species are cultivated as culinary herbs called savory, and they have become established in the wild in a few places.
Description
''Satureja'' species may be
annual
Annual may refer to:
*Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year
** Yearbook
** Literary annual
*Annual plant
*Annual report
*Annual giving
*Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco
*Annuals (band), ...
or
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 wid ...
. They are low-growing
herbs and
subshrubs, reaching heights of .
The
leaves are long, with
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 forming in whorls on the stem, white to pale pink-violet.
Ecology and cultivation
''Satureja'' species are food plants for 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.
...
of some
Lepidoptera (
butterflies and
moth
Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...
s). Caterpillars of the moth ''
Coleophora bifrondella'' feed exclusively on winter savory (''S. montana'').
Savory may be grown purely for ornamental purposes; members of the genus need sun and well-drained soil.
Uses
Both
summer savory
Summer savory (''Satureja hortensis'') is among the best known of the savory genus. It is an annual, but otherwise is similar in use and flavor to the perennial winter savory. It is used more often than winter savory, which has a slightly more ...
(''Satureja hortensis'') and
winter savory (''Satureja montana'') are used to flavor food. The former is preferred by cooks but as an annual is only available in summer; winter savory is an evergreen perennial.
Savory plays an important part in
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
,
Georgian,
Bulgarian and
Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine (, ) is a Mediterranean cuisine David 1988, Introduction, pp.101–103 consisting of the ingredients, recipes and cooking techniques developed across the Italian Peninsula and later spread around the world together with wave ...
, particularly when cooking beans. It is also used to season the traditional
Acadian stew known as '. Savory is also a key ingredient in ''
sarmale'', a stuffed cabbage dish in traditional
Romanian cuisine. The modern spice mixture
Herbes de Provence
(; oc, label= Provençal, èrbas de Provença) is a mixture of dried herbs considered typical of the Provence region of southeastern France. Formerly simply a descriptive term, commercial blends started to be sold under this name in the 1970s. T ...
has savory as one of the principal ingredients.
In
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...
, savory is often incorporated as a flavoring in black tea.
Species
* ''
Satureja adamovicii''
Šilic – Balkans
* ''
Satureja aintabensis''
P.H.Davis – Turkey
* ''
Satureja amani''
P.H.Davis – Turkey
* ''
Satureja atropatana''
Bunge – Iran
* ''
Satureja avromanica''
Maroofi – Iran
* ''
Satureja bachtiarica''
Bunge – Iran
* ''
Satureja boissieri''
Hausskn. ex Boiss. – Turkey, Iran
* ''
Satureja bzybica''
Woronow – Caucasus
* ''
Satureja × caroli-paui''
G.López – Spain ''(S. innota × S. montana)''
* ''
Satureja cilicica''
P.H.Davis – Turkey
* ''
Satureja coerulea''
Janka – Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey
* ''
Satureja cuneifolia''
Ten – Spain, Italy, Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia, Iraq
* ''
Satureja × delpozoi''
Sánchez-Gómez, J.F.Jiménez & R.Morales – Spain ''(S. cuneifolia × S. intricata var. gracilis)''
* ''
Satureja edmondii''
Briq. – Iran
** A recent study found the essential oils of Satureja ''edmondii'' have antimicrobial properties and can protect food from ''
S. aureus''.
The test was conducted on commercial soup products.
* ''
Satureja × exspectata''
G.López – Spain ''(S. intricata var. gracilis × S. montana)''
* ''
Satureja fukarekii''
Šilic – Yugoslavia
* ''
Satureja hellenica''
Halácsy – Greece
* ''
Satureja hortensis''
L. – summer savory – Italy, Bulgaria, Albania, Yugoslavia, Crimea, Caucasus, Altai Republic, Kazakhstan, Xinjiang, western Himalayas; naturalized in western Mediterranean,
Persian Gulf sheikdoms
The Arab states of the Persian Gulf refers to a group of Arab states which border the Persian Gulf. There are seven member states of the Arab League in the region: Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. ...
, Cuba, Dominican Republic, scattered locations in United States
** The heterogeneous mixture of the ''Satureja hortensis L.'' essential oil in water serves as a natural herbicide. The addition of this mixture inhibits the root elongation of weeds which reduces the weed's root-to-shoot ratio. This further reduces the weed's cell division and inhibits its germination, growth, and physiological processes.
* ''
Satureja horvatii''
Šilic – Greece, Yugoslavia
* ''
Satureja icarica''
P.H.Davis – Greek Islands
* ''
Satureja innota''
(Pau) Font Quer – Spain
* ''
Satureja intermedia''
C.A.Mey. – Iran, Caucasus
* ''
Satureja intricata''
Lange – Spain
* ''
Satureja isophylla''
Rech.f. – Iran
* ''
Satureja kallarica''
Jamzad – Iran
* ''
Satureja kermanshahensis''
Jamzad – Iran
* ''
Satureja khuzistanica''
Jamzad – Iran
**Essential oils of ''Satureja khuzistanica'' have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties which can be useful in medical treatments.
A recent study found that higher concentrations of essential oils of ''Satureja khuzistanica '' helped reduce adverse effects of traumatic brain injuries in rats.
* ''
Satureja kitaibelii''
Wierzb. ex Heuff. – Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia
* ''
Satureja laxiflora''
K.Koch – Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Caucasus
* ''
Satureja linearifolia''
(Brullo & Furnari) Greuter – Cyrenaica region of Libya
* ''
Satureja macrantha''
C.A.Mey. – Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Caucasus
* ''
Satureja metastasiantha''
Rech.f. – Iraq
* ''
Satureja montana''
L. – winter savory – southern Europe, Turkey, Syria
* ''
Satureja mutica''
Fisch. & C.A.Mey. – Caucasus, Iran, Turkmenistan
* ''
Satureja nabateorum''
Danin & Hedge – Jordan
* ''
Satureja × orjenii''
Šilic – Yugoslavia ''(S. horvatii × S. montana)''
* ''
Satureja pallaryi''
J.Thiébaut – Syria
* ''
Satureja parnassica''
Heldr. & Sart. ex Boiss. – Greece, Turkey
* ''
Satureja pilosa''
Velen. – Italy, Greece, Bulgaria
* ''
Satureja rumelica''
Velen. – Bulgaria
* ''
Satureja sahendica''
Bornm. – Iran
* ''
Satureja salzmannii''
(Kuntze) P.W.Ball – Morocco, Spain
* ''
Satureja spicigera''
(K.Koch) Boiss. – Turkey, Iran, Caucasus
* ''
Satureja spinosa''
L. – Turkey, Greek Islands including Crete
* ''
Satureja subspicata''
Bartl. ex Vis. – Austria, Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Italy
* ''
Satureja taurica''
Velen. – Crimea
* ''
Satureja thymbra
''Satureja thymbra'', commonly known as savory of Crete, whorled savory, pink savory, and Roman hyssop ( Arabic: ''za'atar rumi''; ''za'atar franji''), is a perennial-green dwarf shrub of the family Lamiaceae, having strongly scented leaves, ende ...
''
L. – Libya, southeastern Europe from Sardinia to Turkey; Cyprus, Lebanon, Palestine
* ''
Satureja thymbrifolia''
Hedge & Feinbrun – Israel, Saudi Arabia
* ''
Satureja visianii''
Šilic. – Yugoslavia
* ''
Satureja wiedemanniana''
(Avé-Lall.) Velen. – Turkey
Formerly in ''Satureja''
* Browne's savory, ''
Clinopodium brownei
''Clinopodium brownei'', or Browne's savory, is a perennial with sprawling square stems and opposite leaves. This herb is heavily pubescent on the stem and inner and outer calyx. The corolla is bilabiate. The lips are thin and delicate and m ...
'' (as ''Satureja brownei'')
* San Miguel Savory, ''
Clinopodium chandleri
''Clinopodium chandleri'' is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name San Miguel savory. It is native to northern Baja California and several areas of southern California, where it can be found in mountai ...
'' (as ''Satureja chandleri'')
* Large-flowered calamint, ''
Calamintha grandiflora
''Calamintha grandiflora'', the large-flowered calamint, showy calamint or mint savory, is a species of ornamental plant.
Distribution
It grows in certain mountains of western and southern Europa (Massif central, Alps, Pyrénées,...) above 70 ...
'' (as ''Satureja grandiflora'')
* Stone mint, ''
Cunila mariana'' (as ''Satureja origanoides'')
*''
Satureja acinos'' (L.) Scheele = ''
Clinopodium acinos
''Clinopodium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. It is in the tribe Mentheae of the subfamily Nepetoideae, but little else can be said with certainty about its phylogenetic position.
The genus name ''Clinopodium'' is d ...
''
(L.) Kuntze
* ''
Satureja alpina'' (L.) Scheele = ''
Clinopodium alpinum''
(L.) Kuntze
* ''
Satureja biflora'' (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) Benth = ''
Micromeria biflora
''Micromeria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, widespread across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, with a center of diversity in the Mediterranean region and the Canary Islands. It is sometimes placed within ...
''
(Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) Benth
* ''
Satureja gillesii'' (Graham) Briq. = ''
Clinopodium chilense''
(Benth.) Govaerts
* ''
Satureja mexicana'' (Benth.) Briq. = ''
Clinopodium mexicanum''
(Benth.) Govaerts
* ''
Satureja multiflora'' (Ruiz & Pav.) Briq. – Chilean shrub mint = ''
Clinopodium multiflorum''
(Ruiz & Pav.) Kuntze
* ''
Satureja palmeri''
(A.Gray) Briq. (believed
extinct; rediscovered 2001) = ''
Clinopodium palmeri''
(A.Gray) Kuntze
* ''
Satureja paradoxa''
(Vatke) Engl. ex Seybold = ''
Clinopodium paradoxum''
(Vatke) Ryding
* ''
Satureja robusta''
(Hook.f) Brenan = ''
Clinopodium robustum''
(Hook.f) Ryding
* ''
Satureja viminea''
L. – serpentine savory = ''
Clinopodium vimineum''
(L.) Kuntze
* ''
Satureja vulgaris''
(L.) Fritschl = ''
Clinopodium vulgare
''Clinopodium vulgare'', the wild basil, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae.
Description
Wild basil is a perennial rhizomatous herb with square, upright, hairy stems and opposite pairs of leaves. The leaves are hairy, ovate ...
''
L.
* ''
Satureja vernayana''
Brenan = ''
Clinopodium vernayanum''
(Brenan) Ryding
* ''
Satureja douglasii''
(Benth.) Briq. – yerba buena (syn. ''S. chamissonis'') =
Micromeria douglasii Benth
Etymology
The etymology of the Latin word "satureia" is unclear. Speculation that it is related to ''saturare'',
[F. E. J. Valpy, ''An Etymological Dictionary of the Latin Language'', 1828, p. 542.] to ''
satyr
In Greek mythology, a satyr ( grc-gre, σάτυρος, sátyros, ), also known as a silenus or ''silenos'' ( grc-gre, σειληνός ), is a male nature spirit with ears and a tail resembling those of a horse, as well as a permanent, exa ...
'',
or to
za'atar
Za'atar ( ; ar, زَعْتَر, ) is a culinary herb or family of herbs. It is also the name of a spice mixture that includes the herb along with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, often salt, as well as other spices. As a family of rela ...
is not well supported. The ancient Hebrew name is Tzatrah צתרה.
Notes
{{Taxonbar, from=Q22858
Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae genera
Herbs
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Flora of Kurdistan
Flora of the Mediterranean Basin
Mediterranean cuisine