Dittany

(Cunila origanoides)

 

Color Photograph: Copyright Nearctica.com, Inc.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

 

Dittany (Cunila origanoides)

Identification: Flowers tubular, violet to light purple. Petals lobes almost symmetrical and stamens elongate, protruding far outside the edge of the corolla. Flowers in small clusters on flower stems from the leaf axils. Plant highly branched with wiry stems. Stem square. Leaves ovate, sessile to the stem and with the outer margin only weakly toothed. Plant 8 to 16 inches in height.

Distribution: Illinois in the west to New York in the east, southward to Georgia and Texas.

Habitat: Dittany is found along forest margins, in clearings, and other openings in the woods.

Flowering period: July to October.

Dittany (Cunila origanoides)

Similar Species:

Dittany is characterized by tubular, nearly symmetrical flowers with protrudings stamens. The sessile leaves with nearly untoothed outer margins are also distinctive.

Similar Species

No Similar Species