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 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 herbs: marjoram (Origanum majorana) and oregano (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's Award of Garden Merit.
Origanum species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including Coleophora albitarsella.
Species
Reference
- Origanum acutidens <small>(Hand.-Mazz.) Ietsw.</small> â Turkey, Iraq
- Origanum àadanense <small>Baser & H.Duman</small> â Turkey (O. bargyli àO. laevigatum)
- Origanum àadonidis <small>Mouterde</small> â Lebanon (O. libanoticum àO. syriacum subsp. bevanii)
- Origanum akhdarense <small>Ietsw. & Boulos</small> â Cyrenaica region of eastern Libya
- Origanum amanum <small>Post</small> â Hatay region of Turkey
- Origanum àbarbarae <small>Bornm.</small> â Lebanon (O. ehrenbergii àO. syriacum subsp. bevanii)
- Origanum bargyli <small>Mouterde</small> â Turkey, Syria
- Origanum bilgeri <small>P.H.Davis -</small> Antalya region of Turkey
- Origanum boissieri <small>Ietsw.</small> â Turkey
- Origanum calcaratum Juss. â Greece
- Origanum compactum <small>Benth. -</small> Spain, Morocco
- Origanum cordifolium <small>(Montbret & Aucher ex Benth.) Vogel</small> â Cyprus
- Origanum cyrenaicum <small>Bég. & Vacc.</small> â Cyrenaica region of eastern Libya
- Origanum dayi <small>Post</small> â Israel
- Origanum dictamnus <small>L.</small> – hop marjoram, Cretan dittany, dittany of Crete â endemic to Crete
- Origanum àdolichosiphon <small>P.H.Davis</small> â Seyhan region of Turkey (O. amanum àO. laevigatum)
- Origanum ehrenbergii <small>Boiss.</small> â Lebanon
- Origanum elongatum <small>(Bonnet) Emb. & Maire</small> â Morocco
- Origanum floribundum <small>Munby</small> â Algeria
- Origanum àharadjanii <small>Rech.f</small> â Turkey (O. laevigatum àO. syriacum subsp. bevanii)
- Origanum haussknechtii <small>Boiss.</small> â Turkey
- Origanum husnucan-baseri <small>H.Duman, Aytac & A.Duran</small> â Turkey
- Origanum hypericifolium <small>O.Schwarz & P.H.Davis</small> â Turkey
- Origanum àintercedens <small>Rech.f.</small> â Greece, Turkey (O. onites àO. vulgare subsp. hirtum)
- Origanum àintermedium <small>P.H.Davis</small> â Denizli region of Turkey (O. onites àO. sipyleum)
- Origanum isthmicum <small>Danin</small> â Sinai
- Origanum jordanicum <small>Danin & Kunne</small> â Jordan
- Origanum laevigatum <small>Boiss.</small> â Turkey, Syria, Cyprus
- Origanum leptocladum <small>Boiss. -</small> Turkey
- Origanum libanoticum <small>Boiss.</small> â Lebanon
- Origanum majorana <small>L.</small> – (sweet) marjoram â Turkey, Cyprus; naturalized in scattered locations in Europe, North Africa, North + South America
- Origanum àlirium <small>Heldr. ex Halácsy</small> â Greece (O. scabrum àO. vulgare subsp. hirtum)
- Origanum àmajoricum <small>Cambess.</small> – hardy sweet marjoram â Spain including Balearic Islands (O. majorana àO. vulgare subsp. virens)
- Origanum microphyllum <small>(Benth.) Vogel</small> â Crete
- Origanum ÃÂ minoanum <small>P.H.Davis -</small> Crete (O. microphyllum ÃÂ O. vulgare subsp. hirtum)
- Origanum minutiflorum <small>O.Schwarz & P.H.Davis</small> â Turkey
- Origanum munzurense <small>Kit Tan & Sorger</small> â Turkey
- Origanum ànebrodense <small>Tineo ex Lojac</small> â Sicily (O. majorana àO. vulgare subsp. viridulum)
- Origanum onites <small>L.</small> â Greece, Turkey, Sicily
- Origanum àpabotii <small>Mouterde</small> â Syria (O. bargyli àO. syriacum subsp. bevanii)
- Origanum pampaninii <small>(Brullo & Furnari) Ietsw</small> â Cyrenaica region of eastern Libya
- Origanum petraeum <small>Danin</small> â Jordan
- Origanum punonense <small>Danin</small> â Jordan
- Origanum ramonense <small>Danin</small> â Levant
- Origanum rotundifolium <small>Boiss.</small> â Turkey, Caucasus
- Origanum saccatum <small>P.H.Davis</small> â Turkey
- Origanum scabrum Boiss. & Heldr. in P.E.Boissier â Greece
- Origanum sipyleum L. -Turkey, Greek Islands
- Origanum solymicum <small>P.H.Davis</small> â Antalya region of Turkey
- Origanum symes <small>Carlström</small> â Islands of the Aegean Sea
- Origanum syriacum <small>L.</small> â Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Sinai, Saudi Arabia
- Origanum vetteri <small>Briq. & Barbey</small> â Crete
- Origanum vogelii <small>Greuter & Burdet</small> â Turkey
- Origanum vulgare <small>L.</small> â oregano â Europe, North Africa, temperate Asia (Iran, Siberia, Central Asia, China, etc.); naturalized in parts of North America, New Zealand, Venezuela
Formerly placed here
References
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