V Mozaffarian - Momber of Scientific board of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Depatment of Botany.

Labiatae family with Botanical Characters: Herbs or shrubs, stems often ۴-angled. Leaves exstipulate, simple, sometimes pinnate, always opposite. Inflorescence of cymes borne in the axils of bracts or upper leaves and usually contracted to form false whorls (verticillasters), is one of the largest plant families with ca. ۴۸-۵۰ Genus and ca.۴۰۰ often aromatic species in Iran. The most largest genus in the family are Nepeta ۷۹ speciesSalvia ۶۱ speciesStachys ۳۵ speciesScutellaria ۲۷ speciesPhlomis ۱۹ speciesEremostachys ۱۷ specieBetween plants of the Labiatae family there are some Genus and species which are used in traditional medicinal plants in Iran before being acquaint with modern Medicinal plants and some of them are used by local people as vegetable. Most famous of them are:Teucrium / Maryam NokhudiMarrubium / FrasiunOtostegia / Golder, Kase GolDracocephalum / Badranj buHyssopus / ZufaZiziphora / KakutiSatureja / MarzeOriganum / MarzanjushThymus / AvishanZataria/ Avishane ShiraziMentha / PuneMelissa / FaranjmoshkZhumeria Mure KhushSalviaPerovskiaLavandulaOcimumIn folk medicine people are believed that most of the plant species in Labiatae family have sweet odor, but there are some genus which are foetid and with unpleasant odor as:NepetaStachysScutellariaPhlomisEremostachysMay be we say that all of the Salvia species have pleasant odor if rather bitter and pungent.Here we refer to some well known medicinal Genus and species of Labiatae plant familyDracocephalum Moldavica / ب Badranj buyem, BadrashbiHyssopus angustifolius / ZufaLallemantia iberica / BalanguLamium album / Gazane sefidLavandula spp. / OstokhuddusMarrubium vulgare / FrasiunMelissa officinalis / Faranjmoshk, Varang buMentha spp. / PuneNepeta Cataria / Pune saye GorbeiiOcimum Basilicum / ReihanOriganum vulgare / Marzangush, MarzanjushOtostegia persica / Golder, Kase GolPerovskia abrotanoides / BerazambalRosmarinus officinalis / Romaran, RosmarySalvia officinalis / Maryam GoliSatureja hortensis / MarzeStachys lavandulifoia / Chaye KuhiTeucrium poliu / Maryam NokhudiThymus vulgaris / Avishane BaghiZataria multiflora / Avishane Shirazim, SaatarZhumeria Majdae / Moure khushZiziphora tenuior / Kakuti