Lippia is a genus of flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. It was named after Augustin Lippi (1678âÂÂ1705), a French naturalist and botanist (with Italian origins). He was killed in Abyssinia. The genus contains roughly 200 species of tropical shrubs that are found around the world. Plants are fragrant due to their essential oils, which vary between species but may include estragole, carvacrol, linalool or limonene. The leaves of certain species, such as L. graveolens, can be used as a culinary herb similar to oregano.
Selected species
- Lippia abyssinica <small>(Otto & A.Dietr.) Cufod.</small> – Ethiopia
- Lippia alba <small>(Mill.) N.E.Br. ex Britton & P.Wilson</small> – Bushy lippia, white lippia (United States (Texas), Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America)
- Lippia carterae <small>(Moldenke) G.L.Nesom</small> – Licorice verbena (Baja California, Mexico)
- Lippia dulcis <small>Trevir.</small>
- Lippia durangensis <small>Moldenke</small>
- Lippia graveolens <small>Kunth</small> – Mexican oregano, scented lippia, scented matgrass (Southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America as far south as Nicaragua)
- Lippia javanica <small>(Burm.f.) Spreng.</small>
- Lippia kituiensis <small>Vatke</small>
- Lippia micromera <small>Schauer</small> – Spanish thyme (Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America)
- Lippia multiflora <small>Moldenke</small>
- Lippia myriocephala <small>Schltdl. & Cham.</small>
- Lippia palmeri <small>S.Watson</small>
- Lippia pretoriensis <small>H.Pearson</small>
- Lippia rehmannii <small>H.Pearson</small>
- Lippia salicifolia <small>Andersson</small> (Ecuador)
- Lippia scaberrima <small>Sond.</small>
- Lippia sidoides <small>Cham.</small>
- Lippia stoechadifolia
- Lippia substrigosa <small>Turcz.</small>
- Lippia thymoides <small>Mart. & Schauer</small>
Formerly placed here
- Aloysia citrodora <small>Palau</small> (as L. citrodora <small>Kunth</small> or L. triphylla <small>(L'Hér.) Kuntze</small>)
- Aloysia lycioides <small>Cham.</small> (as L. lycioides <small>(Cham.) Steud.</small>)
- Aloysia scorodonioides <small>(Kunth) Cham.</small> (as L. scorodonioides <small>Kunth</small> or L. wrightii <small>A.Gray ex Torr.</small>)
- Lantana montevidensis <small>(Spreng.) Briq.</small> (as L. montevidensis <small>Spreng.</small>)
- Lantana ukambensis <small>(Vatke) Verdc.</small> (as L. ukambensis <small>Vatke</small>)
- Mulguraea ligustrina <small>(Lag.) N.O'Leary & P.Peralta</small> (as L. ligustrina <small>(Lag.) Britton</small>)
- Phyla canescens <small>(Kunth) Greene</small> (as L. canescens <small>Kunth</small> or L. filiformis <small>Schrad.</small>)
- Phyla cuneifolia <small>(Torr.) Greene</small> (as L. cuneifolia <small>(Torr.) Steud.</small>)
- Phyla lanceolata <small>(Michx.) Greene </small> (as L. lanceolata <small>Michx.</small>)
- Phyla nodiflora <small>(L.) Greene</small> (as L. nodiflora <small>(L.) Michx.</small> or L. repens <small>Spreng.</small>)
- Salimenaea integrifolia (as L. integrifolia or L. boliviana )
References