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Family: Verbernaceae
Subfamily: Apocynoideae
Order: Lamiales
Genus: LIPPIA
Species: L. graveolens
Binomial name: Lippia graveolens
Common Names: Mexican Oregano, curly-leaf oregano
PLANT DESCRIPTION | Documented Properties & Actions: | This herb contains naringenin, a bioflavonoid known to help prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer, and even Alzheimer's. Naringenin can also help you fight obesity by improving your metabolism. Another flavonoid known as cirsimaritin can help prevent the storage of fat, hence aids in weight loss. Two other flavonoids found in this herb are quercetin and catechin. Quercetin can fight virus and microbes in your body. According to UCLA?S Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, catechin, along with naringenin, can help cure hepatitis C.
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Mexican oregano has been used by native people in Mexico and Central America, traditionally for teas to treat respiratory and gastrointestinal ailments. Mexican oregano contains volatile compounds like thymol and eucalyptol, bringing the scents of thyme and eucalyptus, along with carvacrol, which gives the herb the warm aroma of oregano. These compounds are beneficial to overall health, and also have antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. Mexican oregano also contains antioxidant flavonoids.
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A large, fast growing leafy perennial shrub that is believed to have originated in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and through Central America. The specific epithet, "aconitifolius", means Aconitum-like leaves. It has succulent stems which exude a milky sap when cut. It can grow to be 6 meters tall, but is usually pruned to about 2 m for easier leaf harvest. It is a popular leaf vegetable in Mexican and Central American cuisines, similar to spinach. The leaves must be cooked before being eaten, as the raw leaves are toxic.
Geography/History
Mexican oregano is native to Mexico and can also be found growing in Central and South America. The herb was first identified and classified by Carl Sigismund Kunth, a German botanist who wrote Nova Genera et Species Plantarum, a series of seven volumes on New World plants and flora. Growing throughout Mexico, Central America and as far south as Venezuela, Mexican oregano is prevalent in cuisines throughout the region. In the United States, Mexican oregano is found growing in Texas and New Mexico and is a common herb among ingredients in Tex-Mex. Outside of its native range, Mexican oregano is mostly found in home gardens and at farmer’s markets.
Herbal Tea
The leaves of Mexican oregano can be used to make an herbal tea. This tea is mainly used to treat respiratory tract infections and menstrual flow problems. Other diseases that can be possibly cured by this tea include stomach pains, diarrhea, and colds.
To make this tea, you'll need 3 cups of boiling water and 1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves or 3 teaspoons dried. In a tea pot, place the leaves in the infuser and steep for about 15 minutes.
Distribution and ecology
Lippia graveolens, a species of flowering plant in the verbena family, Verbenaceae, is native to the southwestern United States (Texas and southern New Mexico), Mexico, and Central America as far south as Nicaragua.
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