Origanum vulgare, Wild marjoram, Greek Oregano, Oregan,
Hebrew: אזובית פשוטה, Arabic: زعتر, صعتر
Scientific name:  Origanum vulgare L.
Common name:   Wild marjoram, Greek Oregano, Oregan
Hebrew name:  אזובית פשוטה
Arabic name:  زعتر, صعتر
Family:  Labiatae / Lamiaceae, שפתניים

Israel, Häufige Wildblumen, Bilder von Wildblumen

Life form:  Chamaephyte
Leaves:  Opposite, entire, oval-shaped, 1-4 cm long
Flowers:  Pink, purple tube-shaped flowers, 0.3 cm long, peek out from whorls of purplish-green leafy 2.5 cm long bracts that resemble little pinecones
Flowering Period:  April, May, June, July, August, September
Habitat:  Cultivated Beds
Distribution:  Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Shrub-steppes, Montane vegetation of Mt. Hermon
Chorotype:  Mediterranean, Euro-Siberian and Irano-Turanian
Summer shedding:  Perennating

Origanum vulgare, Wild marjoram, Greek Oregano, Oregan, אזובית פשוטה ,زعتر, صعتر


Derivation of the botanical name:
Origanum, Latin origanus, origanum, Greek. oreiganon, oros, "mountain"; ganos, "joy"; joy of the mountain.
vulgare, common.
The Hebrew name: אזובית, ezovit,Origanum, formed from אזוב with suffix -it. אזוב marjoram.
  • The standard author abbreviation L. is used to indicate Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, the father of modern taxonomy.
Origanum vulgare is an erect herbaceous plant reaching 80-140 cm in height, with a creeping rootstock producing a square, downy, purplish stem.
The leaves are used as a spice and also as medicinal plant.
Greek oregano, Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum is the popular culinary herb. It has hairy leaves and bracts, and white flowers.
Origanum vulgare 'Viride', with white flowers and green bracts, also is used as a culinary herb.
The essential oil is used to treat viral infections, respiratory ailments, and muscle aches.