Micromeria fruticosa (syn. Clinopodium serpyllifolium subsp. fruticosum), commonly known as white micromeria or white-leaved savory, is a dwarf evergreen shrub endemic to the eastern Mediterranean. It is a member of the genus Micromeria, in the family Lamiaceae. It is known as zuta levana (זוטה לבנה or זוטא לבנה) in today's Modern Hebrew and ashab a-shai (عشب الشاي) in Arabic. The Bedouins, however, call it by the Arabic name, qurniyya (Arabic: القورنِيه), believed to be a cognate of the Hebrew qoranit, an aromatic herb described in the Mishnah. The plant's aromatic leaves (resembling mint) are used in making decoctions (herbal teas). White-leaved savory grows mainly on rock surfaces in the low Mediterranean region, and is more common on chalk and calcrete rocks than on rocks of limestone. In the Levant its white blossoms can be seen between July to November.
Botanical profile.
- Genus
- Micromeria
- Family
- Lamiaceae
Other names.
