The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 of flowering plant

Flowering plant

The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...

s. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae

Verbenaceae

Verbenaceae, commonly known as the verbena family or vervain family, is a family of mainly tropical flowering plants. It contains trees, shrubs and herbs notable for heads, spikes, or clusters of small flowers, many of which have an aromatic smell.Recent phylogenetic studies have shown that...

, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies

Research

Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...

 suggested that many genera

Genera

Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...

 classified

Biological classification

Biological classification, or scientific classification in biology, is a method to group and categorize organisms by biological type, such as genus or species. Biological classification is part of scientific taxonomy....

 in Verbenaceae

Verbenaceae

Verbenaceae, commonly known as the verbena family or vervain family, is a family of mainly tropical flowering plants. It contains trees, shrubs and herbs notable for heads, spikes, or clusters of small flowers, many of which have an aromatic smell.Recent phylogenetic studies have shown that...

 belong instead in Lamiaceae. The currently accepted version of Verbenaceae may not be more closely related to Lamiaceae than some of the other families in the order

Order (biology)

In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...

 Lamiales

Lamiales

Lamiales is an order in the asterid group of dicotyledonous flowering plants. It includes approximately 11,000 species divided into about 20 families...

. It is not yet known which of the families in Lamiales is closest to Lamiaceae.

The family has a cosmopolitan distribution

Cosmopolitan distribution

In biogeography, a taxon is said to have a cosmopolitan distribution if its range extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. For instance, the killer whale has a cosmopolitan distribution, extending over most of the world's oceans. Other examples include humans, the lichen...

. The enlarged Lamiaceae contains about 236 genera and 6,900 to 7,200 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

. The largest genera are Salvia (900), Scutellaria (360), Stachys (300), Plectranthus (300), Hyptis (280), Teucrium (250), Vitex, (250) Thymus (220), and Nepeta (200). Clerodendrum was once a genus of over 400 species, but by 2010, it had been narrowed to about 150.

The plants are frequently aromatic in all parts and include many widely used culinary herb

Herb

Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...

s, such as basil, mint

Mentha

Mentha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae . The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18. Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally...

, rosemary

Rosemary

Rosemary, , is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple or blue flowers, native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, which includes many other herbs, and is one of two species in the genus Rosmarinus...

, sage

Common sage

Salvia officinalis is a small, perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is a member of the family Lamiaceae and is native to the Mediterranean region, though it has naturalized in many places throughout the world...

, savory

Savory (herb)

Satureja is a genus of aromatic plants of the family Lamiaceae, related to rosemary and thyme. There are about 30 species called savories, of which Summer savory and Winter savory are the most important in cultivation.-Description:...

, marjoram

Marjoram

Marjoram is a somewhat cold-sensitive perennial herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavours...

, oregano

Oregano

Oregano – scientifically named Origanum vulgare by Carolus Linnaeus – is a common species of Origanum, a genus of the mint family . It is native to warm-temperate western and southwestern Eurasia and the Mediterranean region.Oregano is a perennial herb, growing from 20–80 cm tall,...

, thyme

Thyme

Thyme is a culinary and medicinal herb of the genus Thymus.-History:Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing it was a source of courage...

, lavender

Lavender

The lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. An Old World genus, distributed from Macaronesia across Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India...

, and perilla

Perilla

Perilla is the common name of the herbs of the genus Perilla of the mint family, Lamiaceae. In mild climates, the plant reseeds itself. There are both green-leafed and purple-leafed varieties, which are generally recognized as separate species by botanists. The leaves resemble stinging nettle...

. Some are shrub

Shrub

A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...

s, tree

Tree

A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...

s, such as teak

Teak

Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...

, or rarely vine

Vine

A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...

s. Many members of the family are widely cultivated, owing not only to their aromatic qualities but also their ease of cultivation: these plants are among the easiest plants to propagate by stem cuttings. Besides those grown for their edible leaves, some are grown for decorative foliage, such as coleus

Coleus

Solenostemon is a genus of perennial plants, native to tropical Africa, Asia, Australia, the East Indies, the Malay Archipelago, and the Philippines...

. Others are grown for food purposes, but seeds are utilized instead of leaves, such as with chia

Salvia hispanica

Salvia hispanica, commonly known as chia, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. The 16th century Codex Mendoza provides evidence that it was cultivated by the Aztec in pre-Columbian times; it has been said that it was an...

.

The original family name is Labiatae, so given because the flowers typically have petals fused into an upper lip and a lower lip. Although this is still considered an acceptable alternative name, most botanists now use the name "Lamiaceae" in referring to this family.

The leaves

Leaf

A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....

 emerge oppositely, each pair at right angles to the previous one (called decussate) or whorled.

The stems are frequently square in cross section, but this is not found in all members of the family, and is sometimes found in other plant families.

The flower

Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...

s are bilaterally symmetrical with 5 united petal

Petal

Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...

s, 5 united sepal

Sepal

A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...

s. They are usually bisexual

Plant sexuality

Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....

 and verticillastrate (a flower cluster that looks like a whorl of flowers but actually consists of two crowded clusters).

Genera

The last revision of the entire family was published in 2004. It described and provided keys

Identification key

In biology, an identification key is a printed or computer-aided device that aids the identification of biological entities, such as plants, animals, fossils, microorganisms, and pollen grains...

 to 236 genera. These are marked with an asterisk in the list below. A few genera have been established or resurrected since 2004. These are marked with a plus sign. The remaining genera in the list are mostly of historical interest only and are from a source that includes such genera without explanation. Few of these are recognized in modern treatments of the family. Adelosa is a nomen dubium

Nomen dubium

In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...

. No specimen exists and no one knows what Carl Ludwig Blume

Carl Ludwig Blume

Charles Ludwig de Blume or Karl Ludwig von Blume was a German-Dutch botanist.He was born at Braunschweig in Germany, but studied at Leiden University and spent his professional life working in the Dutch East Indies and in the Netherlands, where he was Director of the Rijksherbarium at Leiden...

 described as Adelosa in 1850.

Kew Gardens provides a list of genera that includes additional information and is easy to read. The list at the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website

Angiosperm Phylogeny Website

Angiosperm Phylogeny Website is a well-known web site dedicated to research on Angiosperm phylogeny and taxonomy.The site is hosted by the Missouri Botanical Garden website and maintained by researcher Peter F. Stevens, who is a member of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group...

 is frequently updated.
*Acanthomintha

Acanthomintha

Acanthomintha is a genus of the Lamiaceae, or mint family. The Acanthomintha genus is commonly referred to as Thornmint. There are a number of species within this genus, including the endangered species Acanthomintha duttonii. All four thornmints are native to the California Floristic Province...

*Achyrospermum

Acinos

Acinos

Acinos is a genus of ten species of annual and short-lived evergreen perennial woody plants native to southern Europe and western Asia. Its name comes from the Greek word akinos, the name of a small aromatic plant. They are small, tufted, bushy or spreading plants growing to 10-45 cm tall...

Acrocephalus

Acrocephalus (plant)

Acrocephalus is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae, containing about 130 species. This name is in homonymy with the genus Acrocephalus in the family Sylviidae....

*Acrotome

*Acrymia

Adelosa

*Aegiphila

Aegiphila

Aegiphila is a genus of plant in family Verbenaceae.Species include:* Aegiphila cordifolia, Moldenke* Aegiphila fasciculata, J.D...

*Aeollanthus

*Agastache

Agastache

Agastache, is a genus of 9–12 species of perennial herbs in the family Lamiaceae, native to eastern Asia and North America ....

*Ajuga

*Ajugoides

*Alajja

*Alvesia

*Amasonia

*Amethystea

*Anisochilus

*Anisomeles

Anisomeles

Anisomeles is a genus of herbaceous plants of the family Lamiaceae....

Archboldia

Archboldia

Archboldia is a genus of bowerbirds, in family Ptilonorhynchidae, bowerbirds and catbirds.-Species:*Archboldia papuensis - Archbold's Bowerbird.*Archboldia sanfordi - Sanford's Bowerbird.-External links:*...

*Asterohyptis

*Ballota

Ballota

Ballota is a genus of about 35 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native to temperate regions of Europe, north Africa and western Asia, with the highest diversity in the Mediterranean region. The type species for the genus is Ballota nigra.Ballota is paraphyletic and will...

*Basilicum

Becium

*Benguellia

*Blephilia

Blephilia

Blephilia is a genus of three species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. They are all herbaceous plants native to eastern North America. The species are most often found in thin woods and in granite and limestone soils...

*Bostrychanthera

Bovonia

*Brachysola

*Brazoria

*Bystropogon

Bystropogon

Bystropogon There are about 40 species of evergreen shrubs in this genus, native to the Canary Islands and Madeira. Allied to the Origanum and Thymus, the genus is characterized by tiny flowers in much-branched clusters, with plume-like sepals that elongate at the fruiting stage, giving the whole...

Calamintha

Calamintha

Calamintha is a genus of plants that belongs to the family Lamiaceae. Commonly called the calamints, there are about eight species in the genus which is native to the northern temperate regions of Europe, Asia and America.Calamintha species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera...

*Callicarpa

*Capitanopsis

Capitanya

*Caryopteris

Caryopteris

Caryopteris is a genus of 16 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae , native to eastern and southern Asia....

*Catoferia

*Cedronella

Cedronella

Cedronella is a genus of flowering plants in the Mentheae tribe of family Lamiaceae, comprising a single species, Cedronella canariensis, endemic to the Canary Islands. Common names include Canary Islands-balm, Canary balm, and Balm-of-Gilead.It is a perennial herbaceous plant growing to 1-1.5 m tall...

Ceratanthus

*Chaiturus

*Chamaesphacos

*Chaunostoma

*Chelonopsis

*Chloanthes

*Cleonia

*Clerodendrum

Clerodendrum

Clerodendrum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. Its common names include glorybower, bagflower and bleeding-heart...

*Clinopodium

Clinopodium

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....

*Colebrookea

*Collinsonia

Collinsonia

Collinsonia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. It is endemic to eastern North America. It was named for the English botanist Peter Collinson by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum in 1753. It is in the tribe Elscholtzieae, a small tribe of only 5 genera...

*Colquhounia

Colquhounia

Colquhounia is a genus of six species of evergreen or semi-evergreen shrubs or subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the eastern Himalaya and southwestern China south to Thailand and Vietnam....

*Comanthosphace

*Congea

Congea

Congea is a small genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae.It contains climbing plants native to Southeast Asia that are rarely seen in cultivation outside thetropics...

*Conradina

Conradina

Conradina is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. Its common name is False Rosemary, or rarely, short leaf rosemary. There are 7 species of Conradina, all native to the southeastern United States. Conradina verticillata grows on the Cumberland Plateau in Kentucky and...

Coridothymus

*Cornutia

*Craniotome

Cryphia

Cryphia

Cryphia is a genus of moths of the Noctuidae family.-Species:* Cryphia albipuncta * Cryphia algae – Tree-Lichen Beauty * Cryphia amasina * Cryphia amseli Boursin, 1952...

*Cuminia

Cuminia

Cuminia is a genus of flowering plant in the Lamiaceae family.It contains the following species:* Cuminia eriantha* Cuminia fernandezia...

*Cunila

*Cyanostegia

*Cyclotrichium

*Cymaria

*Dauphinea

*Dicerandra

Dicerandra

Dicerandra is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family. They are native to the southeastern United States, with several being endemic to Florida...

*Dicrastylis

Discretitheca

Dorystoechas

*Dracocephalum

Dracocephalum

Dracocephalum is a genus of about 45 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...

*Drepanocaryum

*Elsholtzia

*Endostemon

Englerastrum

*Eremostachys

*Eriope

*Eriophyton

Eriopidion

*Eriothymus

Erythrochlamys

Euhesperida

*Eurysolen

*Faradaya

*Fuerstia

*Galeopsis

*Garrettia

Geniosporum

*Glechoma

Glechoma

Glechoma is a genus of 12 species of flowering plants in the mint family.It is native to much of Europe and Asia. The stems root at the nodes, often forming extensive mats ot coarsely toothed, rounded or broadly oval, soft hairy leaves. The ascending shoots bear pairs of small, tubular, 2-lipped...

*Glechon

*Glossocarya

*Gmelina

Gmelina

Gmelina is a genus of plant in family Lamiaceae. It was named in honour of botanist Johann Georg Gmelin.Species include:* Gmelina arborea* Gmelina asiatica* Gmelina fasciculiflora - Northern White Beech, Australia...

*Gomphostemma

*Gontscharovia

*Hanceola

*Haplostachys

*Haumaniastrum

*Hedeoma

Hedeoma

Hedeoma, or the false pennyroyal, is a genus of plants native to North and South America, consisting of about 38 species.Selected species-External links:* *...

*Hemiandra

Hemiandra

Hemiandra, commonly known as snakebush, is a genus of plants of the family Lamiaceae. The genus contains eight species, which are all restricted to southwestern Western Australia. They are all prostrate to smallish shrubs allied to Westringia. The red, lilac, pink, or white flowers are 2-lipped,...

*Hemigenia

Hemigenia

Hemigenia is a genus of shrubs in the family Lamiaceae. The genus is endemic to Australia. Most of the species occur in Western Australia, although some are also found in New South Wales and Queensland. Species include:...

*Hemiphora

*Hemizygia

*Hesperozygis

*Heterolamium

*Hoehnea

*Holmskioldia

Holmskioldia

Holmskioldia is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae.-Name:The genus name is derived from Johan Theodor Holmskiold , a Danish and botanist...

*Holocheila

Holostylon

*Horminum

Horminum

Horminum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, comprising a single species, Horminum pyrenaicum, native to rocky slopes and grasslands in the Pyrenees and Alps in western Europe. Common names include Dragonmouth and Pyrenean Dead-nettle.It is a perennial plant growing to...

*Hosea

Hosea

Hosea was the son of Beeri and a prophet in Israel in the 8th century BC. He is one of the Twelve Prophets of the Jewish Hebrew Bible, also known as the Minor Prophets of the Christian Old Testament. Hosea is often seen as a "prophet of doom", but underneath his message of destruction is a promise...

*Hoslundia

*Huxleya

*Hymenocrater

Hymenocrater

Hymenocrater is a genus of plants from the mint family.Hymenocrater sessilifolius Benth. is one species in the genus that is a perennial aromatic herb with a sturdy thick woody rootstock; tuft up to 30 cm across. Stems many, usually unbranched, c. 20-45 cm, erect or ascending, finely...

*Hymenopyramis

*Hypenia

*Hypogomphia

*Hyptidendron

*Hyptis

Hyptis

Hyptis is a genus of flowering plant in the Lamiaceae family. These plants, known commonly as bushmints, are widespread in the tropics and warmer temperate regions of the Americas...

*Hyssop

Hyssop

Hyssop is a genus of about 10-12 species of herbaceous or semi-woody plants in the family Lamiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to central Asia. They are aromatic, with erect branched stems up to 60 cm long covered with fine hairs at the tips. The leaves are narrow oblong, 2–5 cm...

us

Isodictyophorus

*Isodon

*Isoleucas

+Kalaharia

*Karomia

Keiskea

Kudrjaschevia

*Kurzamra

*Lachnostachys

*Lagochilus

Lagochilus

Lagochilus is a genus of the mint family that contains Turkistan mint .There are 34 known species of this genera, all of which are native from Central Asia, to the Middle East .-Sources:***...

*Lagopsis

*Lallemantia

Lallemantia

Lallemantia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. It is named after the German botanist Julius Léopold Eduard Avé-Lallemant....

*Lamiophlomis

*Lamium

Lamium

Lamium is a genus of about 40-50 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, of which family it is the type genus...

*Lavandula

Lavender

The lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. An Old World genus, distributed from Macaronesia across Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India...

*Leocus

*Leonotis

Leonotis

Leonotis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. It comprises 9 species. One of these, Leonotis nepetifolia, is native to tropical Africa and southern India. It is naturalized throughout most of the tropics. The other 8 species are endemic to southern Africa...

*Leonurus

Leonurus

Leonurus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae.Leonurus japonicus is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine...

*Lepechinia

Lepechinia

Lepechinia is a genus of plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It includes several species of plants known commonly as pitchersages . Plants of this genus can be found in South America, Mexico, California, and Hawaii. Many of them bear attractive pitcher-shaped flowers, often in shades of purple...

*Leucas

Leucophae

*Leucosceptrum

Limniboza

*Lophanthus

*Loxocalyx

*Lycopus

Lycopus

Lycopus is a genus of about a dozen species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. They are all herbaceous plants native to Europe, northwest Asia, and North America. The species are most often found in wetlands, damp meadows, and stream banks...

*Macbridea

*Madlabium

*Mallophora

*Marmoritis

*Marrubium

Marrubium

Marrubium is a genus of about 40 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native to temperate regions of Europe and Asia.Selected species*Marrubium alternidens*Marrubium alysson...

*Marsypianthes

*Matsumurella

*Meehania

*Melissa

Melissa (plant)

Melissa is a genus of five species of perennial herbs native to Europe and Asia. The name Melissa is derived from a Greek word meaning bee, owing to the abundance of nectar in the flowers which attracts bees. The stems are square, like most other plants in the mint family...

*Melittis

*Mentha

Mentha

Mentha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae . The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18. Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally...

*Meriandra

Mesona

Mesona

Mesona is a genus in the mint family .Exemplar species in this genus are Mesona procumbens Hemsley and Mesona chinensis, generically called xiancao in Mandarin Chinese, sian-chháu in Taiwanese, and leung fan cao in Cantonese, sương sáo in Vietnamese.It is said to be a diuretic, used in Taiwan as...

*Metastachydium

*Microcorys

*Micromeria

Micromeria

Micromeria is a genus of flowering plant in the Lamiaceae family.It contains the following species:* Micromeria fruticosa* Micromeria nervosa* Micromeria remota* Micromeria thymifolia...

*Microtoena

*Minthostachys

Minthostachys

Minthostachys is a genus of the mint family Lamiaceae currently comprising seventeen species of aromatic scandent shrubs. It occurs along the Andes from Northern Venezuela through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia to Central Argentina....

*Moluccella

Moluccella

Moluccella is a genus of four species of annual and short-lived perennial plants native to northwestern India to the Mediterranean. They are tall, upright, branched plants to 1 meter or more with toothed leaves and small white fragrant flowers.Species...

*Monarda

Monarda

Monarda is a genus consisting of roughly 16 species of erect, herbaceous, annual or perennial plants in the family Lamiaceae. The genus is endemic to North America. Ranging in height from 1 to 3 feet , the plants have an equal spread, with slender and long-tapering leaves...

*Monardella

Monardella

Monardella is a genus of 28 species of annual and perennial plants native to western North America. They are grown for their highly aromatic foliage, which in some species is used for herbal teas...

*Monochilus

*Mosla

*Neoeplingia

Neohyptis

Neorapinia

*Nepeta

Nepeta

Nepeta is a genus of about 250 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. The members of this group are known as catnip or catmint because of their effect on cats—the nepetalactone contained in nepeta binds to the olfactory receptors of cats, typically resulting in temporary euphoria...

*Newcastelia

Nosema

*Notochaete

*Obtegomeria

*Ocimum

Ocimum

Ocimum is a genus of about 35 species of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, mostly native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World.Some species include:...

Octomeron

*Ombrocharis

*Oncinocalyx

*Origanum

Origanum

Origanum is a genus of about 20 species of aromatic herbs in the family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean region east to eastern Asia...

*Orthosiphon

Orthosiphon

Orthosiphon is a medicinal plant native to South East Asia and some parts of tropical Australia. It is an herbaceous shrub which grows to a height of 1.5 meters. Orthosiphon is a popular garden plant because of its unique flower, which is white and bluish with filaments resembling a cat's whiskers...

*Otostegia

+Ovieda

*Oxera

Oxera

Oxera is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae.Species include:* Oxera cauliflora Deplanche ex Dubard* Oxera crassifolia Guillaumin* Oxera macrocalyx Dubard* Oxera nuda Virot...

*Panzerina

*Paralamium

*Paraphlomis

*Paravitex

*Peltodon

*Pentapleura

*Perilla

Perilla

Perilla is the common name of the herbs of the genus Perilla of the mint family, Lamiaceae. In mild climates, the plant reseeds itself. There are both green-leafed and purple-leafed varieties, which are generally recognized as separate species by botanists. The leaves resemble stinging nettle...

*Perillula

*Peronema

*Perovskia

Perovskia

Perovskia is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. Members of the genus are native to southwestern and central Asia. It comprises seven species, including the garden plant Russian Sage ....

Perrierastrum

Petitia

*Petraeovitex

*Phlomidoschema

*Phlomis

Phlomis

Phlomis is a genus of about 100 species of herbaceous plants, subshrubs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, native from the Mediterranean region east across central Asia to China. Common names include Jerusalem Sage and Lampwick Plant....

*Phyllostegia

Phyllostegia

Phyllostegia is a genus of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae.Species include:* Phyllostegia glabra* Phyllostegia hirsuta Benth.* Phyllostegia hispida Hillebr. * Phyllostegia kaalaensis H.St.John...

*Physopsis

*Physostegia

Physostegia

The genus Physostegia is a group of perennial plants and is part of the Lamiaceae family.They are perennial herbs up to 6 feet high, usually arising from rhizomes....

*Piloblephis

Pitardia

*Pityrodia

Pityrodia

Pityrodia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. The genus is endemic to Australia.Species include:*Pityrodia angustisepala Munir*Pityrodia atriplicina Benth.*Pityrodia augustensis Munir - Mt. Augustus Foxglove...

*Platostoma

*Plectranthus

Plectranthus

Plectranthus, with some 350 species, is a genus of warm-climate plants occurring largely in the southern hemisphere, in sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, India and the Indonesian archipelago down to Australia and some Pacific islands. It is closely related to Solenostemon, sometimes known as the...

*Pogogyne

Pogogyne

Pogogyne is a small genus of flowering plants in the mint family known generally as mesamints or mesa mints. These are small annual plants with glandular, aromatic foliage. They are somewhat variable in appearance but are mostly minty-scented herbs with leaves and flower inflorescences bordered...

*Pogostemon

Pogostemon

Pogostemon is a large genus from the family Lamiaceae. The best known member of this genus is Patchouli.-Species:*Pogostemon auricularia Hassk.*Pogostemon cablin Benth.*Pogostemon formosanus Oliv.*Pogostemon paludosus...

*Poliomintha

*Prasium

*Premna

Premna

Premna is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae.Species include:* Premna grandifolia, A.D.J. Meeuse* Premna hans-joachimii, Verdc.* Premna maxima, T.C.E. Fr.* Premna protrusa, A.C.Sm. & S.Darwin...

*Prostanthera

Prostanthera

Prostanthera, commonly known as Mintbush, is a genus of plants of the family Lamiaceae. There are about 90 species within the genus, all of which are endemic to Australia. The word is derived from the Greek, which refers to an appendage...

*Prunella

Prunella (plant)

Prunella is a genus of seven species of herbaceous plants in the family Lamiaceae, also known as self-heals, heal-all, or "allheal" for their use in herbal medicine.-Habitat:...

*Pseudocarpidium

*Pseudocaryopteris

*Pseudoeremostachys

*Pseudomarrubium

Puntia

*Pycnanthemum

Pycnanthemum

Pycnanthemum is a genus of plants in the mint family . They are commonly known as mountain mints , though "the Mountain Mint" may also be any locally common species in particular. Some are known as koellias, after an obsolete genus name.All of the approximately 20 species in this genus are native...

*Pycnostachys

Rabdosiella

*Renschia

*Rhabdocaulon

*Rhaphiodon

*Rhododon

Rhododon

Rhododon is a genus from the family Lamiaceae.-Species:*Rhododon angulatus B.L. Turner – Angled Sandmint*Rhododon ciliatus Epling - Texas Sandmint...

*Rosmarinus

Rosmarinus

Rosmarinus is a small genus of woody, perennial herbs with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves in the family Lamiaceae, native to the Mediterranean Basin.-Description:...

*Rostrinucula

*Rotheca

Rotheca

Rotheca is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. Estimates of the number of species in the genus vary from about 35 to as many as 60. Three of the species are native to tropical Asia, with the rest occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa. The type species for the genus is Rotheca serrata...

*Roylea

*Rubiteucris

+Rydingia

Sabaudia

*Saccocalyx

Salazaria

Salazaria

Salazaria mexicana, commonly known by variants on bladder sage or paperbag bush, is a shrub of the mint family Lamiaceae distinctive for its calyx lobes that develop into small bag- or bladder-like shells around the fruits...

*Salvia

Salvia

Salvia is the largest genus of plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, with approximately 700-900 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. It is one of several genera commonly referred to as sage. When used without modifiers, sage generally refers to Salvia officinalis ; however, it is...

*Satureja

Savory (herb)

Satureja is a genus of aromatic plants of the family Lamiaceae, related to rosemary and thyme. There are about 30 species called savories, of which Summer savory and Winter savory are the most important in cultivation.-Description:...

*Schizonepeta

Schizonepeta

Schizonepeta or Japanese Catnip. It should not be confused with the true catnips of the genus Nepeta known for their euphoria-inducing effect on domestic cats....

*Schnabelia

*Scutellaria

Scutellaria

Scutellaria is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It contains about 300 species, which are commonly known as skullcaps...

*Sideritis

Sideritis

Sideritis is a genus of flowering plants well known for their medicinal properties...

*Siphocranion

Solenostemon

*Spartothamnella

*Sphenodesme

*Stachydeoma

*Stachyopsis

*Stachys

Stachys

Stachys is one of the largest genera in the flowering plant family Lamiaceae. Estimates of the number of species in the genus vary from about 300, to about 450. The type species for the genus is Stachys sylvatica. Stachys is in the subfamily Lamioideae...

*Stenogyne

Stenogyne

Stenogyne is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family. It is endemic to Hawaii.Species include:*Stenogyne angustifolia - narrowleaf stenogyne*Stenogyne bifida - twocleft stenogyne*Stenogyne calaminthoides - bog stenogyne...

*Sulaimania

*Suzukia

*Symphorema

Symphostemon

*Synandra

*Syncolostemon

*Tectona

Tectona

Tectona is a genus of tropical hardwood trees in the mint family, Lamiaceae. The three species, often collectively called teak, are native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Indonesia and Thailand, and are commonly found as a component of monsoon forest vegetation...

*Teijsmanniodendron

+Tetraclea

*Tetradenia

*Teucridium

*Teucrium

Teucrium

Teucrium is a genus of perennial plants, of the family Lamiaceae. Common names for this genus include germanders. These species are herbs, shrubs or subshrubs...

*Thorncroftia

*Thuspeinanta

*Thymbra

Thymbra

Thymbra or Thymbre was a town in the Troad, near Troy. The second of the six gates of Troy was named after it, according to John Lydgate. The location is about five miles from present day Hissarlik, the site of the present archaeological excavations....

*Thymus

Thymus (genus)

The genus Thymus contains about 350species of aromatic perennial herbaceous plants and subshrubs to 40 cm tall in the family Lamiaceae, native to temperate regions in Europe, North Africa and Asia....

*Tinnea

*Trichostema

Trichostema

Trichostema is a genus of flowering plants in the Lamiaceae family, which has aromatic herbs or subshrubs. These plants are native to North America...

*Tripora

*Tsoongia

*Vitex

Vitex

Vitex is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae Martynov, nom. cons. . It has about 250 species. Its type species is Vitex agnus-castus. There is no universal English name, though "chastetree" is common for many species...

*Viticipremna

+Volkameria

Volkameria

Volkameria is a genus of flowering plants in the family; Lamiaceae. It has about 30 species and is pantropical in distribution. Many of the species are found in coastal habitats. The type species for the genus is Volkameria aculeata....

*Warnockia

Warnockia

Warnockia is a genus from the family Lamiaceae....

*Wenchengia

*Westringia

Westringia

Westringia is a genus of Australian shrubs. As with other members of the mint family their upper petal is divided into two lobes. There are four stamens - the upper two are fertile while the lower two are reduced to staminodes...

Wiedemannia

*Wrixonia

Xenopoma

Xenopoma

Xenopoma is a genus of land snails with an operculum, terrestrial gastropod mollusks in the family Pomatiidae.- Species :Species within the genus Xenopoma include:* Xenopoma aguayoi Torre & Bartsch, 1941...

*Zataria

*Zhumeria

*Ziziphora

Recent changes

The circumscription

Circumscription (taxonomy)

In taxonomy, circumscription is the definition of the limits of a taxonomic group of organisms. One goal of taxonomy is to achieve a stable circumscription for every taxonomic group. Achieving stability can be simple or difficult....

 of several genera has changed since 2004. Tsoongia, Paravitex, and Viticipremna have been sunk into synonymy

Synonym (taxonomy)

In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...

 with Vitex. Huxleya has been sunk into Volkameria. Kalaharia, Volkameria, Ovieda, and Tetraclea have been segregated

Segregate (taxonomy)

In taxonomy, a segregate, or a segregate taxon is created when a taxon is split off, from another taxon. This other taxon will be better known, usually bigger, and will continue to exist, even after the segregate taxon has been split off...

 from a formerly polyphyletic Clerodendrum. Rydingia has been separated from Leucas. The remaining Leucas is paraphyletic over four other genera.

Subfamilies and tribes

In 2004, Lamiaceae were divided into seven subfamilies with ten genera not placed in any of the subfamilies. The unplaced

Incertae sedis

, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...

 genera are: Tectona, Callicarpa, Hymenopyramis, Petraeovitex, Peronema, Garrettia, Cymaria, Acrymia, Holocheila, and Ombrocharis. The subfamilies are Symphorematoideae, Viticoideae

Viticoideae

Viticoideae is one of the seven subfamilies of Lamiaceae-The Genera of Viticoideae:This subfamily contains the following 10 genera:* Cornutia L.* Gmelina L.* Paravitex Fletcher* Petitia Jacq.* Pseudocarpidium Millsp....

, Ajugoideae, Prostantheroideae, Nepetoideae, Scutellarioideae, and Lamioideae. The subfamily Viticoideae is probably not monophyletic. Prostantheroideae and Nepetoideae are divided into tribes

Tribe (biology)

In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...

. These are shown in the phylogenetic tree

Phylogenetic tree

A phylogenetic tree or evolutionary tree is a branching diagram or "tree" showing the inferred evolutionary relationships among various biological species or other entities based upon similarities and differences in their physical and/or genetic characteristics...

 below.

Phylogeny

Most of the genera of Lamiaceae have never been sampled

Sample (material)

In general, a sample is a limited quantity of something which is intended to be similar to and represent a larger amount of that thing. The things could be countable objects such as individual items available as units for sale, or a material not countable as individual items. Samples of countable...

 for DNA

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...

 for molecular phylogenetic studies. Most of those that have been are included in the following phylogenetic tree

Phylogenetic tree

A phylogenetic tree or evolutionary tree is a branching diagram or "tree" showing the inferred evolutionary relationships among various biological species or other entities based upon similarities and differences in their physical and/or genetic characteristics...

. The phylogeny depicted below is based on seven different sources.

External links

• List of genera in family LABIATAE At: Dicotyledons At: List Genera within a Family At: Vascular Plant Families and Genera At: About the Checklist At: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families At: Data Sources At: ePIC At: Scientific Databases At: Kew Gardens
• List of Genera in Lamiaceae At: Lamiaceae At: Lamiales At: Angiosperm Phylogeny Website At: Missoure Botanical Garden Website
• List of genera At: Lamiaceae At: List of families At: Families and Genera in GRIN At: Queries At: GRIN taxonomy for plants
• Lamiaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval. http://delta-intkey.com
• Lamiaceae images
• Family Lamiaceae Flowers in Israel
• Chilean Lamiaceae Chileflora
• Family Lamiaceae (Labiatae) Plant Life Forms