''Calamintha'' is a genus of plants that belongs to the family

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savo ...

. Commonly called the calamints, there are about eight species in the genus (around 30 before revisions in taxonomy) which is native to the northern temperate regions of Europe, Asia and America. ''Calamintha'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. Th ...

e of some '' Lepidoptera'' species including '' Coleophora albitarsella''.

Species

*'' Calamintha ashei'' *'' Calamintha baumgarteni'' *''

Calamintha caerulescens ''Obtegomeria'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, first described in 1998. It contains only one known species, ''Obtegomeria caerulescens'', endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia Colombia (, ...

'' *'' Calamintha coccinea'' *'' Calamintha dentata'' *'' Calamintha grandiflora'' - large-flowered calamint, an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

. *'' Calamintha incana'' *'' Calamintha nepeta'' **''

Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta ''Clinopodium nepeta'' subsp. ''nepeta'' is a subspecies of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to Europe (Austria, Switzerland, Albania, Greece, Italy, Corsica, France, Spain) and eastwards to Turkey, Lebanon and Syria, Iran a ...

'' *'' Calamintha sylvatica'' - common calamint, a low-growing plant with a minty smell and lavender flowers. It prefers alkaline

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former ...

. The leaves can be used to make tea.

Moved to genus Acinos

*'' Acinos alpinus'' (formerly '' Calamintha alpina'') - the alpine calamint *'' Acinos arvensis'' (formerly '' Calamintha acinos'') - also called basil thyme *'' Acinos rotundifolius'' (formerly '' Calamintha exigua'' and '' Calamintha graveolens'')

Moved to genus Clinopodium

*'' Clinopodium chinense'' (formerly '' Calamintha chinensis'') *''

Clinopodium nepeta ''Clinopodium nepeta'' (synonym ''Calamintha nepeta''), known as lesser calamint, is a perennial herb of the mint family. Description Lesser calamint is a perennial shrub, forming a compact mound of shiny, green oregano-like leaves. The flower ...

'' (formerly '' Calamintha nepeta'' or ''

Calamintha officinalis ''Clinopodium nepeta'' (synonym ''Calamintha nepeta''), known as lesser calamint, is a perennial herb of the mint family. Description Lesser calamint is a perennial shrub, forming a compact mound of shiny, green oregano-like leaves. The flower ...

'') - lesser calamint *''

Clinopodium umbrosum ''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. The genus name ''Clinopodium'' is de ...

'' (formerly '' Calamintha umbrosa'') *''

Clinopodium vulgare ''Clinopodium vulgare'', the wild basil, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. Description Wild basil is a perennial rhizomatous herb with square, upright, hairy stems and opposite pairs of leaves. The leaves are hairy, ovate ...

'' (formerly ''

Calamintha vulgaris ''Clinopodium vulgare'', the wild basil, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. Description Wild basil is a perennial rhizomatous herb with square, upright, hairy stems and opposite pairs of leaves. The leaves are hairy, ovate ...

'' or ''

Calamintha clinopodium ''Calamintha'' is a genus of plants that belongs to the family Lamiaceae. Commonly called the calamints, there are about eight species in the genus (around 30 before revisions in taxonomy) which is native to the northern temperate regions of Eu ...

'') - the wild basil

Uses

''Calamintha'' species are used in the popular Middle Eastern culinary blend called

za'atar Za'atar ( ; ar, زَعْتَر, ) is a culinary herb or family of herbs. It is also the name of a spice mixture that includes the herb along with toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, often salt, as well as other spices. As a family of relat ...

. Za'atar is a general name for any Middle Eastern herb from the genera '' Origanum'' (oregano), ''Calamintha'' (calamint), ''

Thymus The thymus is a specialized primary lymphoid organ of the immune system. Within the thymus, thymus cell lymphocytes or ''T cells'' mature. T cells are critical to the adaptive immune system, where the body adapts to specific foreign invaders. ...

'' (thyme) and ''

Satureja ''Satureja'' is a genus of aromatic plants of the family Lamiaceae, related to rosemary and thyme. It is native to North Africa, southern and southeastern Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. A few New World species were formerly included i ...

'' (savory). It is also the name for a

condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to impart a specific flavor, to enhance the flavor, or to complement the dish. A table condiment or table sauce is more specifically a condiment that is served separat ...

made from the dried herb(s), mixed together with

sesame Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus '' Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is c ...

seeds, dried

sumac Sumac ( or ), also spelled sumach, is any of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' and related genera in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, including Ea ...

, often salt, and other spices. According to Nissim Krispil, an ethno-botanist and folklore researcher, ''Calamintha incana'' infusions aid the birthing women (and those with uterus problems).

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q820063 Lamiaceae Lamiaceae genera Taxa named by Philip Miller