Will the real oregano please stand up?
The trouble with common names is that its application varies depending on where one is. Take oregano. The 'real' oregano ( Oreganum vulgare ) is from Eurasia and the Mediterranean and bear purple flowers. In the Philippines, the name oregano is applied on a different plant with larger leaves and lavender blooms, and is known scientifically as Plectranthus amboinicus . Both Oreganum and Plectranthus belong to the same family however- Lamiaceae . But, when you go to local garden centers, you may see small-leaved herbs with sprawling, wiry stems labelled Oregano (even ' Marjoram ') complete with the correct scientific name, but is a totally different plant from an absolutely different family. And yes, that's the one in the photo below. Known scientifically as Lippia micromera , this herb goes by the name of Spanish oregano or Spanish thyme (the name Spanish thyme is also used for P. amboinicus ; this should give you an idea as to why we should settle for scienti...