Marrubium

Marrubium (horehound or hoarhound) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native to temperate regions of Europe, North Africa, and Asia as far east as the Xinjiang region of western China. A few species are also naturalized in North and South America.

• Marrubium alyssoides <small>Pomel</small> – Algeria, Morocco
• Marrubium alysson <small>L.</small> – Mediterranean from Spain + Morocco to Palestine
• Marrubium anisodon <small>K.Koch</small> – Greece, Albania, Crimea, southwest Asia from Turkey to Kashmir
• Marrubium aschersonii <small>Magnus</small> – Tunisia
• Marrubium astracanicum <small>Jacq.</small> – Caucasus, Iran, Iraq, Turkey
• Marrubium atlanticum <small>Batt.</small> – Morocco
• Marrubium ayardii <small>Maire</small> – Morocco
• Marrubium × bastetanum <small>Coincy</small> – Spain (M. supinum × M. vulgare)
• Marrubium bourgaei <small>Boiss.</small> – Turkey
• Marrubium catariifolium <small>Desr.</small> – Caucasus, Turkey
• Marrubium cephalanthum <small>Boiss. & Noë</small> – Turkey
• Marrubium cordatum <small>Nábelek</small> – Iran, Iraq, Turkey
• Marrubium crassidens <small>Boiss.</small> – Iran, Iraq
• Marrubium cuneatum <small>Banks & Sol.</small> – Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine
• Marrubium cylleneum <small>Boiss. & Heldr.</small> – Greece
• Marrubium depauperatum <small>Boiss. & Balansa</small> – Turkey
• Marrubium duabense Murata – Iran, Afghanistan
• Marrubium echinatum <small>Ball</small> – Morocco
• Marrubium eriocephalum <small>Seybold</small> – Iraq
• Marrubium fontianum <small>Maire</small> – Rif in northern Morocco
• Marrubium friwaldskyanum <small>Boiss.</small> – Bulgaria
• Marrubium glechomifolium <small>Freyn & Conrath</small> – Caucasus
• Marrubium globosum <small>Montbret & Aucher ex Benth.</small> – Turkey, Syria, Lebanon
• Marrubium heterocladum <small>Emb. & Maire</small> – Rif in northern Morocco
• Marrubium heterodon <small>(Benth.) Boiss. & Balansa</small> – Turkey
• Marrubium hierapolitanum <small>Mouterde</small> – Syria
• Marrubium × humbertii <small>Emb. & Maire</small> – Morocco (M. ayardii × M. multibracteatum)
• Marrubium incanum <small>Desr.</small> – Italy (including Sicily + Sardinia), Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria
• Marrubium leonuroides <small>Desr.</small> – Caucasus, Crimea
• Marrubium litardierei <small>Marmey</small> – Morocco
• Marrubium lutescens <small>Boiss. & Heldr.</small> – Turkey
• Marrubium multibracteatum <small>Humbert & Maire</small> – Morocco
• Marrubium × paniculatum <small>Desr.</small> – Austria, Czech Republic, Yugoslavia (M. peregrinum × M. vulgare)
• Marrubium parviflorum <small>Fisch. & C.A.Mey.</small> – Turkey, Iran, Caucasus
• Marrubium peregrinum <small>L.</small> – central + Eastern Europe, Turkey, Caucasus
• Marrubium persicum <small>C.A.Mey</small> – Turkey, Iran, Caucasus
• Marrubium pestalozzae <small>Boiss.</small> – Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Crimea
• Marrubium plumosum <small>C.A.Mey.</small> – Caucasus
• Marrubium procerum <small>Bunge</small> – Iran
• Marrubium propinquum <small>Fisch. & C.A.Mey.</small> – Iran, Caucasus
• Marrubium rotundifolia <small>Boiss.</small> – Turkey
• Marrubium sivasense <small>Aytaç, Akgül & Ekici</small> – Turkey
• Marrubium supinum <small>L.</small> – Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia
• Marrubium thessalum <small>Boiss. & Heldr.</small> – Albania, Greece
• Marrubium trachyticum <small>Boiss.</small> – Turkey
• Marrubium vanense <small>Hub.-Mor</small>. – Turkey
• Marrubium velutinum <small>Sm.</small> – Greece
• Marrubium vulcanicum <small>Hub.-Mor.</small> – Turkey
• Marrubium vulgare <small>L.</small> – White horehound or common horehound – widespread from Denmark + Azores + Canary Islands east to Xingiang; naturalized in New Zealand, New Caledonia, Hawaii, Easter Island, North + South America

The genus name Marrubium derives from the Latin word marrubii, meaning horehound. The French Talmudic exegete, Rashi, thinks that this herb may have been used as one of the bitter herbs on the night of Passover. The common English name horehound is of unknown origin, but with the first part 'hore' derived from "hoary", "hairy".

The species formerly classified as Marrubium nigrum (Black Horehound) is now placed in the genus Ballota.

Marrubium species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora lineolea.

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