Re: [gardeners] cuban oregano
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sun, 19 Apr 1998 10:57:36
At 08:44 AM 4/19/98 -0600, you wrote:
> I've discussed this previously with George Shirley, but the issue came up
>again yesterday when I visited a local herb nursery and saw their "Cuban"
>oregano. It looks like my fleshy-leaved oregano, that was identified as
>"Puerto Rican oregano" by another nursery, the herbs manager of which said
>the leaves are shaped slightly differently, but they're essentially the
>same oregano. Cuban leaves are more rounded than Puerto Rican leaves.
>George has some of my Puerto Rican oregano, and someone gave him some
>Cuban. He says they look different and taste different from the PR leaves.
Yup, my identified Cuban oregano is coleus amboincus(sp?) and has a
rounder, white-edged leaf than the Puerto Rican oregano obtained from
Margaret. My herb bible, SOUTHERN HERBS, by Madelyn Hill, only mentions the
Cuban variety and I, too, have been unable to find any mention of the PR
variety. I suspect they are the same plant with regional differences.
>
>Does anyone know whether there are 1)botanical name differences for these?
>2) Any official differences published? 3) any herb dealers who carry both?
> Thanks very much. BTW, George, if we don't get answers here, please post
>to other lists with different populations. Thanks, Margaret
>
Will repost to Gardens. Maybe we can get some answers that way.
George