It is one of the many species of the genus Origanum, which grows naturally in North African and Southern European countries but not in Greece. In our country it is found as an ornamental-aromatic plant in pots and gardens, while its cultivation is quite rare.
It is a perennial plant, which is morphologically similar to its relative plant, oregano, but differs from it in aroma, soil requirements and water requirements.
It has been known since antiquity, that its beverages can act as drugs against stomach ache and intestinal upsets, against indigestion and headaches. Also, the essential oil obtained from the leaves and flowers of the plant is used for its tonic, antiseptic and antispasmodic effects.
