ORIGANUM ONITES

Family and Genus:- See- LABIATAE/Sect. MAJORANA

Common Names:- White marjoram, Pot marjoram.

Homotypic Synonyms:- Majorana onites, Origanum album.

Meaning:- Origanum (Gr) Joy-of-the mountain. A name used by the Greek

philosopher Theophrastus for an aromatic herb.

Onites (Gr) Of asses.

General description:- Dwarf shrub.

Stems:-

1) Up to 60 cm, erect, densely papillose and hirsute.

Leaves:-

1) 5-22 x 4-12(-17) mm, ovate to orbicular-ovate, rounded or cordate at the base,

acute or shortly acuminate, entire or remotely serrate, papillose and villous,

glandular-punctate, with the veins somewhat raised on lower surface.

2) Lower, petiolate, the others sessile.

Flowers:-

1) Spicules, 4-10 mm, ovoid, oblong or prismatic, very compact, forming a terminal,

dense corymb 2-8(-10) cm in diam,.

2) Bracts, 3-3·5 mm, slightly exceeding the calyx;

a) lower, ovate, acute.

b) upper, orbicular-ovate, obtuse, puberulent.

3) Calyx, 2·75-3 mm, 1-lipped, with a deep slit on one side, ovate-spathulate, entire

or minutely 3-dentate, subglabrous, glandular-punctate, ciliate.

4) Corolla, 4-5·5 mm, white.

Fruit:-

1) Nutlets, c. 1 mm, oblong-ellipsoid.

Key features:-

1) Calyx, with 5 equal teeth; 1-lipped, with a deep slit on one side.

2) Stems, papillose and hirsute.

3) Spicules, in dense terminal corymbs.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Open dry shrubby vegetation on dry, rocky slopes, mainly of hard

limestone. 0-500(-800) m.

Distribution:- Restricted to the Aegean area, including W & S Anatolia. On Crete

more common in the central north extending to the far east.

Flowering time:- Late Apr to early July.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton