Everything about Lamiaceae totally explained
Lamiaceae or
Labiatae, also known as the Mint family, is a family of
plants in about 210 genera and some 3,500 species. It has been considered closely related to
Verbenaceae but several recent phylogenetic studies have shown that numererous genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae, whereas the core genera of Verbenaceae are not closely related to Lamiaceae and are more closely related to other members of the
Lamiales.
The plants are frequently aromatic in all parts and include many widely used culinary
herbs, such as
basil,
mint,
rosemary,
sage,
savory,
marjoram,
oregano,
thyme,
lavender, and
perilla. Some are shrubs, but rarely
trees or
vines. Many members of the family are widely cultivated, owing not only to their aromatic qualities but also their ease of cultivation: these plants are among the easiest plants to propagate by stem cuttings. Besides those grown for their edible leaves, some are grown for decorative foliage, such as
coleus. Others are grown for food purposes, but seeds are utilized instead of leaves, such as with
chia.
The original family name is
Labiatae, so given because the flowers typically have petals fused into an upper lip and a lower lip. Although this is still considered an acceptable alternate name, most botanists now use the name "Lamiaceae" in referring to this family.
The
leaves emerge oppositely, each pair at right angles to the previous one (called
decussate) or whorled.
The stems are frequently square in cross section, but this isn't found in all members of the family, and is sometimes found in other plant families.
The
flowers are bilaterally symmetrical with 5 united
petals, 5 united
sepals. They are usually
bisexual and verticillastrate (a flower cluster that looks like a whorl of flowers but actually consists of two crowded clusters).
Genera
Further Information
Get more info on 'Lamiaceae'.
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