''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 ...

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s and

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or undershrub is either a small shrub (e.g. prostrate shrubs) or a perennial that is largely herbaceous but slightly woody at the base (e.g. garden pink and florist's chrysanthemum). The term is often interch ...

s in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family (biology), 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 (herb), ba ...

. They are native to

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

, and much of temperate

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

, 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 Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

marjoram Marjoram (, ''Origanum majorana'') is a cold-sensitive perennial plant, 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 ...

(''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 climate, temperate Northern Hemisphere. Oregano is a ...

(''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 ...

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

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

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

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

Origanum acutidens ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. They are native to Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia, where they are found in open or mountainous habitats. A few species ...

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

Origanum × adanense ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. They are native to Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia, where they are found in open or mountainous habitats. A few species ...

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

Origanum × adonidis ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. They are native to Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia, where they are found in open or mountainous habitats. A few species ...

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

Origanum akhdarense ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. They are native to Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia, where they are found in open or mountainous habitats. A few species ...

'' 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 perennial flowering plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. They are native to Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia, where they are found in open or mountainous habitats. A few species ...

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

Origanum bargyli ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. They are native to Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia, where they are found in open or mountainous habitats. A few species ...

'' Mouterde – Turkey, Syria # ''

Origanum bilgeri ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. They are native to Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia, where they are found in open or mountainous habitats. A few species ...

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

Origanum boissieri ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. They are native to Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia, where they are found in open or mountainous habitats. A few species ...

'' Ietsw. – Turkey # ''

Origanum calcaratum ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous plant, herbaceous perennial plant, perennial flowering plants and subshrubs in the family (biology), family Lamiaceae. They are native to Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia, where they are ...

'' Juss. – Greece # '' Origanum compactum'' Benth. - Spain, Morocco # '' Origanum cordifolium'' (Montbret & Aucher ex Benth.) Vogel – Cyprus # '' Origanum cyrenaicum'' 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 '' ...

'' 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'' (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'' 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'' Danin & Kunne – Jordan # '' Origanum laevigatum'' Boiss. – Turkey, Syria, Cyprus # '' Origanum leptocladum'' Boiss. - Turkey # '' Origanum libanoticum'' Boiss. – Lebanon # '' Origanum majorana'' 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'' Kit Tan & Sorger – Turkey # '' Origanum × nebrodense'' Tineo ex Lojac – Sicily ''(O. majorana × O. vulgare ''subsp''. viridulum)'' # '' Origanum onites'' L. – Greece, Turkey, Sicily # '' Origanum × pabotii'' 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 ''Origanum'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. They are native to Europe, North Africa, and much of temperate Asia, where they are found in open or mountainous habitats. A few species ...

'' 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'' L. – Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Sinai, Saudi Arabia # '' Origanum vetteri'' Briq. & Barbey – Crete # '' Origanum vogelii'' Greuter & Burdet – Turkey # '' Origanum vulgare'' 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'' (Burm.f.) Kuntze (as ''O. benghalense'' Burm.f.)

References

External links

Herb Society of America Fact Sheet: Oregano and Marjoram (pdf)''Origanum dictamnus''
{{Authority control Lamiaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus