Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Metachlamydeae: Lamiales

Lamiaceae - Mint and basil family

Labiatae

Codd, L.E. (1985) Lamiaceae Flora of Southern Africa 28(4)

Fernandes, R. (2005) Lamiaceae (subfamilies: Viticoideae and Ajugoideae) Flora Zambesiaca 8(7)

Paton, A.J. et al. (2009) Lamiaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa

Description of the family

Trees, shrubs or annual or perennial herbs, usually with square stems. Stipules 0. Leaves opposite or whorled, rarely alternate (e.g. Aeollanthus subacaulis), usually gland-dotted and aromatic. Inflorescence cymose, borne in the axils of opposite bracts, usually much condensed so that the two opposite cymes form a whorl-like inflorescence (referred to as a whorl in this account); rarely the flowers are solitary in the axil of each bract. The whorls are often close together so that they form spikes or heads. Flowers hypogynous, zygomorphic, usually 2-lipped, bisexual (unisexual in Tetradenia). Bracts present. Calyx usually 5-toothed, often 2-lipped. Corolla gamopetalous, basically 5-lobed but often 2-lipped with the 2 upper lobes and the 3 lower lobes united. Stamens rarely 2, usually 4. Ovary superior, 4-locular; style often 2-lobed, usually gynobasic. Fruit consisting of 4 dry, 1-seeded nutlets.

Comment: Can be recognised by the 4 nutlets, a character also possessed by the Boraginaceae, but these usually have actinomorphic flowers and alternate leaves. The family is often similar in appearance to the Acanthaceae but these have fruits which are capsules.

Worldwide: 251 genera and 6,700 species, cosmopolitan, but especially from the Mediterranean to C Asia; very rare in New Zealand.

Zimbabwe: 34 cultivated genera and 72 cultivated taxa.

Salvia coccinea

Links to cultivated genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Ajuga L.Description, Image
Callicarpa L.Description
Caryopteris BungeDescription
Clerodendrum L.Description
Coleus Lour.Image
Congea Roxb.Description, Image
Glechoma L.Description
Gmelina L.Description, Image
Holmskioldia Retz.Description, Image
Hyssopus L.Description
Karomia DopDescription
Lamium L.Description
Lavandula L.Description
Leonotis (Pers.) R.Br.Description
Leonurus L.Description
Marrubium L.Description
Melissa L.Description
Mentha L.Description
Moluccella L.Description
Monarda L.Description
Nepeta L.Description
Origanum L.Description
Phlomis L.Description
Physostegia Benth.Description
Plectranthus L'Hér.Description
Rosmarinus L.Description
Salvia L.Description, Image
Satureja L.Description
Stachys L.Description
Tetradenia Benth.Description
Teucrium L.Description
Thymus L.Description
Vitex L.Description, Image
Westringia Sm.

Other sources of information about Lamiaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Lamiaceae
Flora of Caprivi: Lamiaceae
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Lamiaceae
Flora of Malawi: Lamiaceae
Flora of Malawi: cultivated Lamiaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Lamiaceae
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Lamiaceae
Flora of Zambia: Lamiaceae
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Lamiaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Lamiaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Lamiaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Lamiaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Lamiaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Lamiaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Lamiaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Lamiaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Lamiaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Lamiaceae
Wikipedia: Lamiaceae
Plants of the World Online: Lamiaceae
Tropicos: Lamiaceae



Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Cultivated plants: Family page: Lamiaceae.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/family.php?family_id=114, retrieved 19 March 2024

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