Food- Widely used as a culinary herb for flavoring food and beverages. A herb tea is made from the fresh or dried leaves. Essential oil extracted used as a flavouring in sweets, ice cream, drinks, chewing gum. Medicine- The plant has antiemetic, antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, restorative, stimulant and stomachic properties. A tea made from the leaves has traditionally been used in the treatment of fevers, headaches, digestive disorders and various minor ailments. Cosmetics/Essential oils- The oil is used commercially as a food flavouring and oral hygiene preparation.
Afghanistan, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan
Thrives in moist fields, waste places, and cultivated gardens.
It is herbaceous perennial plant growing 30-100 cm tall.
Stem is erect, branched, and square-shaped.
Leaves are oppositely arranged, ovate with serrated margins, 5-9 cm long and 1.5-3 cm broad.
Flowers are small, pink or white, clustered in slender spikes, each flower 0.25-0.3 cm long and broad.
Fruit is tiny, dry nutlet contained within the flower calyx.
Flowering: July-September.