Origanum vulgare

Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia; Africa, Europe, introduced in North America]

Micromeria formosana C. Marquand:
Taiwan (Asia)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Origanum vulgare L.:
Canada (North America)
Ecuador (South America)
Kyrgyzstan (Asia)
Kazakhstan (Asia)
Mexico (Mesoamerica)
Pakistan (Asia)
Russian Federation (Asia)
United States (North America)
China (Asia)
Colombia (South America)
Venezuela (South America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Throughout Europe, Asia and N. America.

The genus Origanum includes two economically significant aromatic species, Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana), which is native to Cyprus and southern Turkey but widely introduced across the Mediterranean region, and the widely distributed Oregano (Origanum vulgare). The aromatic quality of Marjoram is present in just a single species in the genus. In contrast, oregano-like qualities may be found in a number of Origanum species, but the widespread O. vulgare is the main species of economic importance.

According to recent taxonomic treatments (Ietswaart 1980, as cited in Kokkini 1997), O. vulgare is represented by six subspecies collectively distributed widely across Eurasia and North Africa. It has also been introduced by humans to North America. Oregano contains an essential oil with characteristic monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes that account for its aromatic qualities. The three subspecies with a more northerly distribution are less rich in essential oils than are the the three more southerly distributed subspecies.

Oregano was used by the Ancient Greeks and Romans. It is a familiar herb used on pizza and in a range of tomato and meat dishes and salads. Mexico and Turkey are major exporters (Italy is a major producer as well, but consumes most of this production domestically) (Olivier 1997). Oregano's essential oil (which is high in carvacrol) is used in a number of foods and liqueurs.

Oregano is an erect perennial, 30 to 60 cm tall, with stalked, ovate leaves that are 1 to 4.5 cm long. The purplish flowers are borne in dense, rounded terminal panicles with purplish bracts. The flowers have a tubular 5-toothed calyx, never becoming turbinate (top-shaped) in fruit (unlike some related species). Calyx shape is important in the taxonomy of the genus Origanum. The calyx shape is highly variable between, but stable within, Origanum species and appears to be largely controlled by 5 independent genes with simple Mendelian inheritance, potentially allowing plant breeders to reliably distinguish naturally occurring hybrids rather than always having to perform painstaking hand pollinations. (Novak et al. 2002)

(Vaughan and Geissler 1997; Novak et al. 2002)

Herbs perennial, mostly shiny golden glandular. Stems erect or ascending, ca. 12 cm, much branched, terete, red and purplish, sparsely floccose-puberulent. Petiole 2-3 mm; leaf blade ovate, ca. 7 × 5 mm, adaxially slightly scabrid, base subcuneate, apex slightly obtuse. Verticillasters few flowered, in upper axils; bracts leaflike; bracteoles absent. Pedicel less than 1 mm. Calyx tubular-funnelform, 2.5-3 × 1 mm, purplish, puberulent, throat white villous; teeth ovate-triangular, ca. 1 mm, apex subacute. Corolla gray-violet, 5-7 mm, pubescent; upper lip ovate, ca. 2.5 mm in diam.; lower lip lobes subcircular, ca. 1.5 mm in diam. Nutlets ellipsoid-oblong, less than 0.5 mm, smooth (specimens not seen).

600-4000 m

Rhizomes oblique, ± woody. Stems erect or prostrate near base, 25-60 cm, purplish, retrorse pubescent or slightly floccose-pubescent, numerous, leafless near base, lower branches sterile. Petiole 2-7 mm; leaf blade ovate to oblong-ovate, 1-4 × 0.4-1.5 cm, glandular, adaxially shiny green tinged purple, sparsely villous, abaxially densely villous, base broadly cuneate to rounded, margin entire or remotely serrulate, apex obtuse to slightly obtuse. Spikes oblong, ± elongated in fruit; floral leaves mostly sessile, purplish; bracts green or purple, oblong-obovate to obovate or oblanceolate, ca. 5 mm, margin entire, apex acute. Calyx ca. 3 mm, minutely hispid or subglabrous; teeth triangular, ca. 0.5 mm. Corolla purple-red to white, tubular-campanulate, 5-7 mm; tube ca. 5 mm, exserted in bisexual flowers, ca. 3 mm, included in pistillate flowers, sparsely pubescent; upper lip ovate, ca. 1.5 mm, apex 2-lobed; lower lip ca. 2 mm, lobes oblong-ovate. Nutlets brown, ca. 0.6 mm, apex rounded. Fl. Jul-Sep, fr. Oct-Dec.

Origanum creticum Loureiro; O. normale D. Don; O. vulgare var. formosanum Hayata.

Hills, grasslands, forests; 500-3600 m.

* Taiwan

Foodplant / gall
Aceria origani causes gall of shoot tip of Origanum vulgare
Other: sole host/prey

Foodplant / gall
Aphis origani causes gall of leaf of Origanum vulgare

Foodplant / open feeder
imago of Aphthona atratula sensu Cox grazes on leaf of Origanum vulgare
Other: sole host/prey

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Apion flavimanum feeds within stem (lower) of Origanum vulgare
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / sap sucker
adult of Canthophorus impressus sucks sap of Origanum vulgare
Remarks: Other: uncertain

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / open feeder
adult of Longitarsus obliteratus grazes on leaf of Origanum vulgare
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
Neoerysiphe galeopsidis parasitises live Origanum vulgare

Foodplant / miner
larva of Phytomyza origani mines leaf of Origanum vulgare
Other: sole host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
uredium of Puccinia menthae parasitises live leaf of Origanum vulgare

Foodplant / gall
telium of Puccinia thymi causes gall of live petiole of Origanum vulgare

Foodplant / open feeder
nocturnal larva of Tenthredo thomsoni grazes on leaf of Origanum vulgare
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / feeds on
female of Thrips origani feeds on Origanum vulgare
Remarks: season: 6-11

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 26
Specimens with Barcodes: 34
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked