Morphological characteristics of exported taxa as Oregano from Turkey I: Origanum

Abstract

Abstract: Oregano is a collective name of a group of taxa have been used as spice and known as Turkish “Kekik”. Different genera and species of the family Labiatae containing timol and carvacrol are being used as oregano. It is determined that 9 taxa are being exported as oregano. They are: Origanum minutiflorum O. Schwarz & P.H. Davis, O. majorana L., O. onites L., O. syriacum L. ssp. bevanii (Holmes) Greuter & Burdet, O. vulgare L. ssp. hirtum (Link) Ietsw., Satureja thymbra L., S. cuneifolia Ten., Coridothymus capitatus (L.) Rchb.f., Thymbra spicata L. ssp. spicata. In this paper outer and inner morphological characteristics of exported only Origanum taxa are given with its description, illustration and distribution. Key words: Origanum, morphology, anatomy, oregano, Turkey