Re: [gardeners] cuban oregano
Margaret Lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sun, 19 Apr 1998 11:45:02 -0600
At 10:57 AM 4/19/98, you wrote:
>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
>
I did just notice that Richters carries Cuban oregano that they identify as
a Plectranthus sp., catalog says "scent reminiscent of oregano, but it is
not used in cooking." Hmmm. The plot, at least, thickens. Margaret