The Lamiaceae or Labiatae Family
Mint Family
The Lamiaceae, Labiatae or the Mint Family is a major family in the Order Lamiales, and one of only a handful of families with two acceptable scientific names (Lamiaceae or Labiatae). Members of the Mint family are world-wide in distribution.
The Plant List includes 22,576 scientific plant names of species rank for the family Lamiaceae. Of these 7,886 are accepted species names. Some of the largest genera include Salvia (986 species), Scutellaria (468 species), Stachys (375 species), Hyptis (295 species), Teucrium (287 species), and Vitex (223 species).
Arizona has over 60 species in Lamiaceae.
Most family members are shrubs, sub-shrubs or forbs/herbs.
Common family characteristics include aromatic leaves with notable culinary uses including basil, mint, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, thyme and several others. Stems of the Mint family are commonly square and leaves typically opposite, some whorled. Flowers bilaterally symmetrical with 5 united petals and 5 united sepals. The former family name, Labiatae is a reference to flower petals fused into an upper lip and a lower lip.
Economic importance of the Mint family includes the wide culinary use of herbs, fragrance of herbage and attractive flowers and medicinal uses.
- Dracocephalum parviflorum, American Dragonhead
- Hedeoma nana, Dwarf False Pennyroyal
- Hyptis emoryi, Desert Lavender
- Lamium amplexicaule, Henbit
- Marrubium vulgare, White Horehound
- Monarda citriodora, Lemon Beebalm
- Salvia columbariae, Chia
- Salvia greggii, Autumn Sage
- Salvia subincisa, Sawtooth Sage
- Scutellaria mexicana, Bladder Sage
- Scutellaria platyphylla, Mexican Skullcap
- Stachys coccinea, Scarlet Hedgenettle
- Trichostema arizonicum, Arizona Bluecurls
- Vitex agnus-castus, Chaste Tree