ORIGANUM VULGARE subsp. HIRTUM

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

Common Names:- Marjoram

Homotypic Synonyms:- Origanum hirtum.

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

philosopher Theophrastus for an aromatic herb.

Vulgare (L) Vulgar, common.

Hirtum (L) Hairy, shaggy-hairy.

General description:- Woody, rhizomatous perennial.

Stems:-

1) Up to 90 cm or more, usually branched above, pubescent, hirsute or velutinous,

rarely glabrous.

Leaves:-

1) 10-40(-50) x 4-25 mm, ovate, entire or shallowly crenate-serrate, glabrous or

hairy, glandular-punctate, petiolate.

Flowers:-

1) Spicules, 5-30 mm, ovoid, oblong, or prismatic, forming a corymb or panicle.

2) Bracts, 4-5 mm, as long as to nearly twice as long as the calyx, ovate, not

apiculate, hairy or glabrous, eglandular or sparsely glandular-punctate,

herbaceous, violet-purple or greenish.

3) Calyx, yellow-glandular-punctate, hairy or glabrous.

4) Corolla, 4-7 mm, white or purplish-red.

Extremely variable in colour and indumentum of bracts and calyx, shape and length

of spicules, and colour of corolla.

Key features:-

1) Bracts 4-5 mm, usually purple, eglandular or sparsely glandular on the outer

surface.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Rocky places in open dry shrubby vegetation, mixed scrub, open

woodland and meadows, generally 0-800 m.

Distribution:- A widespread Euro-Siberian species fairly common throughout the

Mediterranean. Scattered across west Crete, with a few locations further east.

Flowering time:- Mainly May-July.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton