Clinopodium

Scientific name

Clinopodium L.

Common names

Browne's savory, mint Charlie

Family

Lamiaceae

Similar genera

Ammannia, Cardamine, Cuphea, Lindernia, Lysimachia, Mentha, Rotala

Native distribution

southeastern United States, Mexico, Central and South America

Species cultivated

Clinopodium brownei (Sw.) Kuntze

Adventive distribution

Clinopodium brownei (Sw.) Kuntze is introduced to various countries for horticultural use, but not established.

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
or submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
, typically erect to sometimes creeping herb

Brief description

Perennial. Roots at nodes. Stems square, sparsely or densely hirsute; aromatic, mint-like. Leaves oppositeopposite:
(adj) (of leaves) two leaves per node; in pairs on opposite sides of an axis
, decussatedecussate:
(adj) arranged along stem in pairs, with each pair at right angles to the pairs above and below
; petiolepetiole:
(n) the stalk of a leaf
adaxially pubescentpubescent:
(adj) (1) covered with short, soft hairs; (2) bearing hairs
, abaxially glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, adaxially glandular; apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
obtuseobtuse:
(adj) with a blunt or rounded apex and sides coming together at an angle of more than 90 degrees
to round; base truncatetruncate:
(adj) terminating abruptly, as if cut straight across
to shallowly cordatecordate:
(adj) heart-shaped; in the form of two rounded lobes
; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
crenate to serrateserrate:
(adj) (of a leaf margin) bearing sharp teeth pointing forward or to the apex
; venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
± pinnatepinnate:
(adj) in the form of a feather; of, e.g., leaflets, lobes, or veins: arranged in two rows along an axis
. Flowers axillaryaxillary:
(adj) in, of, or produced from an axil
near top of plant, solitary; calyxcalyx:
(n) the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
tube ribbed, 5-lobed, apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
acute, pubescentpubescent:
(adj) (1) covered with short, soft hairs; (2) bearing hairs
, greenish; petals 5, fused into 2 lips, upper lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, central lobe apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
notched; white, pinkish-white to lavender.

Natural habitat

wetlands; on stream banks, in swamps or marshes

Additional comments

A genus of about 150 species. Clinopodium brownei is also known as Micromeria brownei (Sw.) Benth. and is sold erroneously as “Lindernia anagallis.”