Sideritis
Also known as mountain tea, ironwort
Sideritis, also known as ironwort, mountain tea and '''shepherd's tea''', is a genus of flowering plants known for their use as herbal medicine, commonly as a herbal tea. They are abundant in Mediterranean regions, the Balkans, the Iberian Peninsula and Macaronesia, but can also be found in Central Europe and temperate Asia.
Species
GENUS
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderLamiales
- FamilyLamiaceae
Native toAfghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Austria, Baleares, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Central European Russia, Corse, Cyprus, Czechia-Slovakia, East Aegean Is.
General: ) recognizes two subgenera: subg. Sideritis and subg. Marrubiastrum
via GBIF · Kew POWO
Research
288 papersArticle
8 sectionsContents
- History and etymology
- Taxonomy
- Botany
- Gallery
- Uses
- Cultivation
- References
- External links
Sideritis, also known as ironwort, mountain tea and '''shepherd's tea', is a genus of flowering plants known for their use as herbal medicine, commonly as a herbal tea. They are abundant in Mediterranean regions, the Balkans, the Iberian Peninsula and Macaronesia, but can also be found in Central Europe and temperate Asia.
==History and etymology== In Greek, "sideritis" (Gr: σιδηρίτις) can be literally translated as "he who is made of iron". The plant was known to ancient Greeks, specifically Pedanius Dioscorides and Theophrastus. Although Dioscorides describes three species, only one (probably S. scordioides) is thought to belong to Sideritis. In ancient times "sideritis" was a generic reference for plants capable of healing wounds caused by iron weapons during battles. However, others hold that the name stems from the shape of the sepal, which resembles the tip of a spear.