Marrubium

Marrubium (horehound or hoarhound) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native to temperate regions of Europe, North Africa, and Asia as far east as the Xinjiang region of western China. A few species are also naturalized in North and South America. Species Marrubium alyssoides Pomel – Algeria, Morocco Marrubium alysson L. – Mediterranean from Spain + Morocco to Palestine Marrubium anisodon K.Koch – Greece, Albania, Crimea, southwest Asia from Turkey to Kashmir Marrubium aschersonii Magnus – Tunisia Marrubium astracanicum Jacq. – Caucasus, Iran, Iraq, Turkey Marrubium atlanticum Batt. – Morocco Marrubium ayardii Maire – Morocco Marrubium × bastetanum Coincy – Spain (M. supinum × M. vulgare) Marrubium bourgaei Boiss. – Turkey Marrubium catariifolium Desr. – Caucasus, Turkey Marrubium cephalanthum Boiss. & Noë – Turkey Marrubium cordatum Nábelek – Iran, Iraq, Turkey Marrubium crassidens Boiss. – Iran, Iraq Marrubium cuneatum Banks & Sol. – Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine Marrubium cylleneum Boiss. & Heldr. – Greece Marrubium depauperatum Boiss. & Balansa – Turkey Marrubium duabense Murata – Iran, Afghanistan Marrubium echinatum Ball – Morocco Marrubium eriocephalum Seybold – Iraq Marrubium fontianum Maire – Rif in northern Morocco Marrubium friwaldskyanum Boiss. – Bulgaria Marrubium glechomifolium Freyn & Conrath – Caucasus Marrubium globosum Montbret & Aucher ex Benth. – Turkey, Syria, Lebanon Marrubium heterocladum Emb. & Maire – Rif in northern Morocco Marrubium heterodon (Benth.) Boiss. & Balansa – Turkey Marrubium hierapolitanum Mouterde – Syria Marrubium × humbertii Emb. & Maire – Morocco (M. ayardii × M. multibracteatum) Marrubium incanum Desr. – Italy (including Sicily + Sardinia), Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria Marrubium leonuroides Desr. – Caucasus, Crimea Marrubium litardierei Marmey – Morocco Marrubium lutescens Boiss. & Heldr. – Turkey Marrubium multibracteatum Humbert & Maire – Morocco Marrubium × paniculatum Desr. – Austria, Czech Republic, Yugoslavia (M. peregrinum × M. vulgare) Marrubium parviflorum Fisch. & C.A.Mey. – Turkey, Iran, Caucasus Marrubium peregrinum L. – central + Eastern Europe, Turkey, Caucasus Marrubium persicum C.A.Mey – Turkey, Iran, Caucasus Marrubium pestalozzae Boiss. – Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Crimea Marrubium plumosum C.A.Mey. – Caucasus Marrubium procerum Bunge – Iran Marrubium propinquum Fisch. & C.A.Mey. – Iran, Caucasus Marrubium rotundifolia Boiss. – Turkey Marrubium sivasense Aytaç, Akgül & Ekici – Turkey Marrubium supinum L. – Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia Marrubium thessalum Boiss. & Heldr. – Albania, Greece Marrubium trachyticum Boiss. – Turkey Marrubium vanense Hub.-Mor. – Turkey Marrubium velutinum Sm. – Greece Marrubium vulcanicum Hub.-Mor. – Turkey Marrubium vulgare L. – White horehound or common horehound – widespread from Denmark + Azores + Canary Islands east to Xingiang; naturalized in New Zealand, New Caledonia, Hawaii, Easter Island, North + South America

The genus name Marrubium derives from the Latin word marrubii, meaning horehound. The French Talmudic exegete, Rashi, thinks that this herb may have been used as one of the bitter herbs on the night of Passover. The common English name horehound is of unknown origin, but with the first part 'hore' derived from "hoary", "hairy".