Origanum vulgare subsp. vulgare

A little known species described from a cultivated plant.

Herbs perennial, mostly shiny golden glandular. Stems erect or ascending, ca. 12 cm, much branched, terete, red and purplish, sparsely floccose-puberulent. Petiole 2-3 mm; leaf blade ovate, ca. 7 × 5 mm, adaxially slightly scabrid, base subcuneate, apex slightly obtuse. Verticillasters few flowered, in upper axils; bracts leaflike; bracteoles absent. Pedicel less than 1 mm. Calyx tubular-funnelform, 2.5-3 × 1 mm, purplish, puberulent, throat white villous; teeth ovate-triangular, ca. 1 mm, apex subacute. Corolla gray-violet, 5-7 mm, pubescent; upper lip ovate, ca. 2.5 mm in diam.; lower lip lobes subcircular, ca. 1.5 mm in diam. Nutlets ellipsoid-oblong, less than 0.5 mm, smooth (specimens not seen).

* Taiwan