Suppression
Mexican oregano
Category: Medicines - plant based
Type
Voluntary
Introduction and description
Lippia graveolens is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. Common names include Mexican oregano, redbrush lippia, orégano Cimmaron, scented lippia, and scented matgrass.
It is native to the southwestern United States (Texas and southern New Mexico), Mexico, and Central America as far south as Nicaragua.
It is a shrub or small tree, reaching 1–2.7 m (3.3–8.9 ft) in height. Fragrant white or yellowish flowers can be found on the plant throughout the year, especially after rain.
Uses
Mexican oregano is both eaten as a herb and used medicinally. The specific botanical name of this plant is derived from two Latin words: gravis, meaning "heavy", and oleo, meaning "oil".
The essential oil of Lippia graveolens contains 0-81% thymol, 0-48% carvacrol, 3-30% para-cymene, and 0-15% eucalyptol. The first two components give the plant a flavour similar to oregano, and the leaves are widely used as an herb in Mexico and Central America.
The medicinal uses can be seen from the observations.
