Origanum ( Oxford English Dictionary, first edition, entry "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 an important group of culinary herbs including marjoram (Origanum majorana), oregano (Origanum vulgare), and za'atar (Origanum syriacum).

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 There are about 67 species native to Eurasia and Northern Africa.

Origanum acutidens (Hand.-Mazz.) Ietsw. – Türkiye, Iraq Origanum × adanense Baser & H.Duman – Türkiye (O. bargyli × O. laevigatum) Origanum × adonidis Mouterde – Lebanon (O. libanoticum × O. syriacum subsp. bevanii) Origanum akhdarense Ietsw. & Boulos – Cyrenaica region of eastern Libya Origanum amanum Post – Hatay region of Türkiye Origanum × barbarae Bornm. – Lebanon (O. ehrenbergii × O. syriacum subsp. bevanii) Origanum bargyli Mouterde – Türkiye, Syria Origanum bilgeri P.H.Davis – Antalya region of Türkiye Origanum boissieri Ietsw. – Türkiye Origanum calcaratum Juss. – Greece Origanum compactum Benth. – Spain, Morocco Origanum cordifolium (Montbret & Aucher ex Benth.) Vogel – Cyprus Origanum cyrenaicum Bég. & Vacc. – Cyrenaica region of eastern Libya Origanum dayi Post – West Bank, Palestine Origanum dictamnus L. (hop marjoram, Cretan dittany, dittany of Crete) – endemic to Crete Origanum × dolichosiphon P.H.Davis – Seyhan region of Türkiye (O. amanum × O. laevigatum) Origanum ehrenbergii Boiss. – Lebanon Origanum elongatum (Bonnet) Emb. & Maire – Morocco Origanum floribundum Munby – Algeria Origanum × haradjanii Rech.f – Türkiye (O. laevigatum × O. syriacum subsp. bevanii) Origanum haussknechtii Boiss. – Türkiye Origanum husnucan-baseri H.Duman, Aytac & A.Duran – Türkiye Origanum hypericifolium O.Schwarz & P.H.Davis – Türkiye Origanum × intercedens Rech.f. – Greece, Türkiye (O. onites × O. vulgare subsp. hirtum) Origanum × intermedium P.H.Davis – Denizli region of Türkiye (O. onites × O. sipyleum) Origanum isthmicum Danin – Sinai Origanum jordanicum Danin & Kunne – Jordan Origanum laevigatum Boiss. – Türkiye, Syria, Cyprus Origanum leptocladum Boiss. – Türkiye Origanum libanoticum Boiss. – Lebanon Origanum majorana L. (marjoram or sweet marjoram) – Türkiye, Cyprus; naturalized in scattered locations in Europe, North Africa, North + South America Origanum × lirium Heldr. ex Halácsy – Greece (O. scabrum × O. vulgare subsp. hirtum) Origanum × majoricum Cambess. (hardy sweet marjoram) – Spain including Balearic Islands (O. majorana × O. vulgare subsp. virens) Origanum microphyllum (Benth.) Vogel – Crete Origanum × minoanum P.H.Davis – Crete (O. microphyllum × O. vulgare subsp. hirtum) Origanum minutiflorum O.Schwarz & P.H.Davis – Türkiye Origanum munzurense Kit Tan & Sorger – Türkiye Origanum × nebrodense Tineo ex Lojac – Sicily (O. majorana × O. vulgare subsp. viridulum) Origanum onites L. (Cretan oregano) – East Aegean Is., Greece, Crete, Sicilia, Türkiye; naturalized in Cyprus, Tunisia Origanum × pabotii Mouterde – Syria (O. bargyli × O. syriacum subsp. bevanii) Origanum pampaninii (Brullo & Furnari) Ietsw – Cyrenaica region of eastern Libya Origanum petraeum Danin – Jordan Origanum punonense Danin – Jordan Origanum ramonense Danin – Levant Origanum rotundifolium Boiss. – Türkiye, Caucasus Origanum saccatum P.H.Davis – Türkiye Origanum scabrum Boiss. & Heldr. in P.E.Boissier – Greece Origanum sipyleum L. – Türkiye, Greek Islands Origanum solymicum P.H.Davis – Antalya region of Türkiye Origanum symes Carlström – Islands of the Aegean Sea Origanum syriacum L. (bible-hyssop, za'atar) – Cyprus, Lebanon-Syria, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sinai, Türkiye Origanum vetteri Briq. & Barbey – Crete Origanum vogelii Greuter & Burdet – Türkiye Origanum vulgare L. – oregano – Europe, North Africa, temperate Asia (Iran, Siberia, Central Asia, China, etc.); naturalized in parts of North America, New Zealand, Venezuela

Formerly placed here Pogostemon benghalensis (Burm.f.) Kuntze (as O. benghalense Burm.f.)

References

External links

Herb Society of America Fact Sheet: Oregano and Marjoram (pdf) Origanum dictamnus