Lamiaceae

Lore & Background

The family has traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but phylogenetic studies in the 1990s suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae should be classified in Lamiaceae or other families in the order Lamiales. The alternative family name Labiatae refers to the flowers typically having petals fused into an upper lip and a lower lip (labia in Latin). Although still considered acceptable, most botanists now use the name Lamiaceae. The flowers are bilaterally symmetrical with five united petals and five united sepals, usually bisexual and verticillastrate. Leaves emerge oppositely, each pair at right angles to the previous one (decussate) or whorled, and stems are frequently square in cross section, though not in all members.

Reader's Guide

Lamiaceae is significant for its extensive use in culinary and traditional medicine, including herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, and thyme, as well as medicinal plants such as catnip and skullcap. Many species are cultivated for their aromatic leaves, seeds (e.g., Salvia hispanica or chia), or edible tubers (e.g., Chinese artichoke). The family also includes ornamental plants like coleus and Salvia hybrids. Most genera have never been sampled for molecular phylogenetic studies, but recent work using large chloroplast gene datasets has clarified subfamilial relationships.

Did You Know?

• The family includes trees such as teak (Tectona).
• The alternative family name Labiatae refers to the flowers' fused petals forming an upper and lower lip.

Culinary and Medicinal Significance

The mint family occupies a uniquely central place in human kitchens and apothecaries across the globe. Its aromatic members include some of the most recognizable culinary herbs ever cultivated—basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, hyssop, thyme, lemon balm, lavender, and perilla all belong to this single lineage. Beyond the kitchen, the family supplies a long roster of traditional medicines, from catnip and skullcap to bee balm, wild dagga, self-heal, and oriental motherwort. The practical appeal of Lamiaceae extends well beyond flavor: many species propagate easily from simple stem cuttings, making them accessible to home gardeners worldwide. The family also yields crops grown for entirely different parts. Salvia hispanica is cultivated specifically for its chia seeds, while several Plectranthus species and Stachys affinis (the Chinese artichoke) are valued for their edible tubers. Ornamental selections such as coleus, Plectranthus, and various Salvia hybrids add yet another dimension to the family's broad utility in human culture.

Taxonomic Scale and Global Reach

Its distribution is genuinely cosmopolitan, with representatives found on every continent. The family's members are predominantly herbaceous, though it also encompasses shrubs, occasional trees (teak being the most famous example), and, in rare cases, climbing vines.

Morphological Identity

The mint family is among the easiest plant groups to recognize in the field, owing to a suite of shared structural traits. Its flowers are bilaterally symmetrical, with five petals fused into a two-lipped structure—an upper lip and a lower lip—giving rise to the older family name Labiatae, from the Latin word for lips. While Lamiaceae is now the preferred term among most botanists, Labiatae remains an acceptable alternative. The five sepals are likewise united, and the flowers are typically bisexual. They cluster in a distinctive arrangement called verticillasters, which at first glance resemble a single whorl of blooms but are actually two tightly packed clusters stacked one above the other. Leaves emerge in opposite pairs, with each successive pair rotated ninety degrees relative to the one before it (decussate), though some species produce whorled arrangements. Perhaps the most iconic feature is the square stem in cross-section, a trait so strongly associated with mints that it has become a shorthand for the family, even though it is neither universal within Lamiaceae nor exclusive to it.

Taxonomic Evolution and Reclassification

The boundaries of Lamiaceae have shifted considerably over the past three decades. For much of the twentieth century, the family was thought to be a close relative of Verbenaceae. Phylogenetic work in the 1990s upended that assumption, revealing that many genera long placed in Verbenaceae actually belonged in Lamiaceae or in other Lamiales families. At the generic level, Tsoongia, Paravitex, and Viticipremna were folded into Vitex, Huxleya was merged into Volkameria, and four genera were carved out of the formerly polyphyletic Clerodendrum.