''Cunila origanoides'', with the

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

s stone mint, frost mint, dittany, and American dittany, is a perennial late-summer-flowering

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short shrub, and is a woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Der ...

with small purple flowers that is native to the central and eastern United States. It belongs to the

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, savory ...

(mint) family and is the only species in the ''Cunila'' genus native to the United States. It grows in habitats such as dry forests and the thin soil around rock outcrops. This species has historically been cultivated for use as a medicinal herb, tea, and ornamental plant.

Description

''C. origanoides'' is a low, shrublike plant with square, stiff, branching stems, growing tall. In the spring, the stems are purple, turning red when the plant is in bloom, then brown and woody in the fall. Leaves are opposite and measure long. They are sessile or have very short petioles. They are lanceolate, ovate, or ovate-cordate, with finely toothed margins. When crushed, the leaves give off a strong mint aroma. American dittany in December

Small purple or lavender flowers, measuring up to long, appear in clusters of

cymes An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed on ...

at the end of branches. The flowers are tubular with 4 flared lobes. The 2 stamens and the style are twice as long as the

corolla Corolla may refer to: *Corolla (botany), the petals of a flower, considered as a unit *Toyota Corolla, an automobile model name * Corolla (headgear), an ancient headdress in the form of a circlet or crown * ''Corolla'' (gastropod), a genus of moll ...

and stick out noticeably.

Distribution and habitat

The plant is native in the United States from Texas to the west and south, Illinois and New York to the north, and North Carolina to the east. It is found in dry areas in upland rocky woodlands, rocky slopes and ridges, and semi-shaded areas of sandstone cliffs.

Ecology

The plant blooms in the late summer and fall, and butterflies, bees, and other insects are attracted to the flowers. It is a host plant for the moth ''

Stephensia cunilae ''Stephensia cunilae'' is a moth of the family Elachistidae. It is found in the United States, where it has been recorded from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. The wingspan is 6.5–7 mm. The extreme base of the forewings is dark reddish-bronze, ...

''. ''C. origanoides'' is one of the few plants that are known to produce

frost flowers A frost flower or ice flower is formed when thin layers of ice are extruded from long-stemmed plants in autumn or early winter. The thin layers of ice are often formed into exquisite patterns that curl into " petals" that resemble flowers. ...

Uses

The leaves of ''C. origanoides'', either fresh or dried, have been used for making tea with a pleasant, mint flavor. The tea can also be used for headaches, colds, and fevers, as well as for inducing menstruation and perspiration. Cunila oil, an essential oil, can be used as an antiseptic, aromatic and stimulant. File:Cunila origanoides drawing 1.png

References

External links

Henriette's HerbalPlants for a Future
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5194277 Lamiaceae Plants described in 1759 Flora of the Eastern United States