''Mesosphaerum suaveolens'',

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

''Hyptis suaveolens'', chia, pignut, or chan, is a branching

pseudocereal A pseudocereal or pseudograin is one of any non-grasses that are used in much the same way as cereals (true cereals are grasses). Pseudocereals can be further distinguished from other non-cereal staple crops (such as potatoes) by their being pr ...

plant native to

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

regions of

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, Central, the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

, and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

, as well as being naturalized in tropical parts of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. It is generally tall, occasionally up to . Stems are hairy, and square in cross section.

Leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are oppositely arranged, long, with shallowly toothed margins, and emit a strong minty odor if crushed.

Flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s are pink or purple, arranged in clusters of 1–5 in the upper leaf

axil A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, fl ...

Traditional Uses

Studies have found that ''M. suaveolens'' is effective as an

insecticide Insecticides are pesticides used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. The major use of insecticides is in agriculture, but they are also used in home and garden settings, i ...

.Cyrille Adda, Pierre Atachi, Kerstin Hell, and Manuele Tamò. Potential use of the Bushmint, ''M. suaveolens'', for the Control of Infestation by the Pink Stalk Borer, ''Sesamia calamistis'', on Maize in Southern Benin, West Africa
/ref>Conti et al. ''Hyptis suaveolens'' and ''Hyptis spicigera'' (''Lamiaceae'') essential oils:qualitative analysis, contact toxicity and repellent activity against ''Sitophilus granarius''.
/ref> ''Mesosphaerum suaveolens'' can be made into a refreshing drink by soaking the seeds in water and refrigerating the mix. Some people add

lemon The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

or other

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. ''Citrus'' is nativ ...

to improve the taste. In Colima, Mexico, people use the ''M. suaveolens'' seeds to prepare a traditional beverage called ''bate''. The process consists in roasting and grinding the seeds and then mixing the resulting powder with water. ''M. suaveolens'' is also a traditional treatment for

diarrhea Diarrhea (American English), also spelled diarrhoea or diarrhœa (British English), is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements in a day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration d ...

References

External links

Making Chan drink (spanish)

Using Chan as insecticide (spanish)

Evaluation as Alternative Crop for Food and Drugs (spanish)

Chan used as diarrhea treatment (spanish)

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q2235341, from2=Q50846819 Lamiaceae Edible nuts and seeds Flora of Mexico Flora of Central America Flora of Southern America Flora of the Caribbean Plants described in 1759 Flora without expected TNC conservation status

Traditional Uses

See also

References

External links