- Hyssopus can also refer to a genus of Hymenopteran insects of the family Eulophidae.
- For the biblical plant usually translated as hyssop, see Ezob.
Hyssop (
Hyssopus) is a genus of about 10-12 species of
herbaceous or
semi-woody plants in the family
Lamiaceae, native from the
Mediterranean east to central
Asia. They are
aromatic, with erect branched stems up to 60 cm long covered with fine hairs at the tips. The
leaves are narrow oblong, 2-5 cm long. The small blue
flowers are borne on the upper part of the branches during summer. By far the best-known species is the
Herb Hyssop (
H. officinalis), widely cultivated outside its native area in the Mediterranean.
- Species
- Hyssopus ambiguus (Trautv.) Iljin
- Hyssopus cretaceus Dubjan.
- Hyssopus cuspidatus Boriss.
- Hyssopus ferganensis Boriss.
- Hyssopus latilabiatus C.Y.Wu & H.W.Li
- Hyssopus lophanthoides Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don
|
- Hyssopus macranthus Boriss.
- Hyssopus ocymifolius Lam.
- Hyssopus officinalis L.
- Hyssopus seravschanicus (Dub.) Pazij
- Hyssopus tianschanicus Boriss.
|
Cultivation and uses


19th century illustration of H. officinalis
The name 'hyssop' can be traced back almost unchanged through the
Greek hyssopos. In the New Testament, a sponge soaked in sour wine or vinegar was stuck on a branch of hyssop and offered to Jesus of Nazareth on the cross just before he died
[1] (which may indicate that the cross was not as high as sometimes portrayed). Both Matthew and Mark mention the occasion but refer to the plant using the general term "kalamos", which is translated as "reed" or "stick". Its purgative properties are mentioned in book of
psalms.
[2]
Traditionally, hyssop has been used as a strewing herb, and many of its historical healing properties that had been previously dismissed as
superstition are once again being acknowledged.
The seeds are sown in
spring and the seedlings planted out 40-50 cm apart. Hyssop can also be
propagated from heel cuttings or root division in spring or
autumn. Hyssop should be grown in full sun on well drained soil, and will benefit from occasional clipping. It is short-lived, and the plants will need to be replaced every few years. Ideal for use as a low hedge or border within the
herb garden.
Hyssop is used as a food plant by the
larvae of some
Lepidoptera species including
Cabbage Moth.
Hyssop leaves have a slightly bitter minty flavour and can be added to soups, salads
or meats, although should be used sparingly as the flavour is very strong. Hyssop also has medicinal properties which are listed as including expectorant,
carminative, relaxes peripheral blood vessels, promotes sweating,
anti-inflammatory, anti-catarrhal,
antispasmodic. Its active constituents are volatile oil,
flavonoids,
tannins and bitter substance (marrubin).
A strong tea made from the leaves and flowering tops is used in lung, nose and throat congestion and catarrhal complaints, and externally it can be applied to bruises, to reduce the swelling and discolouration. An old English country remedy for cuts and wounds suffered while working in the fields was to apply a poultice of bruised hyssop leaves and sugar in order to reduce the risk of
tetanus infection. An
essential oil made from hyssop is belived to increase alertness and is a gently relaxing nerve tonic suitable for treating nervous exhaustion, overwork, anxiety and depression. The Herb Society's "Complete Medicinal Herbal" cautions however that "the essential oil contains the
ketone pino-camphone which in high doses can cause convulsions. Do not take more than the recommended dose."
Hyssop also has uses in the garden, it is said to be a good
companion plant to
cabbage, partly because it will lure away the
Cabbage White butterfly, and according to Dorothy Hall (
The Book Of Herbs, Pan 1972) has also "been found to improve the yield from
grapevines if planted along the rows, particularly if the terrain is rocky or sandy, and the soil is not as easy to work as it might be". However hyssop is said to be antagonistic to
radishes, and they should not be grown nearby. Hyssop also attracts
bees,
hoverflies and
butterflies, thus has a place in the
wild garden as well as being useful in controlling
pests and encouraging
pollination without the use of unnatural methods. Hyssop is also used as an ingredient in
eau de Cologne, and in the liqueur
Chartreuse.
Hyssop leaves can be preserved by drying. They should be harvested on
a dry day at the peak of their maturity and the concentration of active ingredients is highest. They should be dried quickly, away from bright sunlight in order to preserve their aromatic ingredients and prevent oxidation of other chemicals. Good air circulation is required, such as an airing cupboard with the door left open, or a sunny room, aiming for a temperature of 20-32°C. Hyssop leaves should dry out in about six days, any longer and they will begin to discolour and lose their flavour. The dried leaves are stored in clean, dry, labelled airtight containers, and will keep for 12-18 months.
See also
References
| Herbs and spices |
|---|
| Herbs | Angelica • Basil • Basil, holy • Basil, Thai • Bay leaf • Boldo • Borage • Cannabis • Chervil • Chives • Coriander leaf (cilantro) • Curry leaf • Dill • Epazote • Eryngium foetidum (long coriander) • Hoja santa • Houttuynia cordata (giấp c) • Hyssop • Lavender • Lemon balm • Lemon grass • Lemon verbena • Limnophila aromatica (rice paddy herb) • Lovage • Marjoram • Mint • Mitsuba • Oregano • Parsley • Perilla (shiso) • Rosemary • Rue • Sage • Savory • Sorrel • Stevia • Tarragon • Thyme • Vietnamese coriander (rau răm) • Woodruff |
|---|
| Spices | African pepper • Ajwain (bishop's weed) • Aleppo pepper • Allspice • Amchur (mango powder) • Anise • Aromatic ginger • Asafoetida • Camphor • Caraway • Cardamom • Cardamom, black • Cassia • Cayenne pepper • Celery seed • Chili • Cinnamon • Clove • Coriander seed • Cubeb • Cumin • Cumin, black • Dill seed • Fennel • Fenugreek • Fingerroot (krachai) • Galangal, greater • Galangal, lesser • Garlic • Ginger • Grains of Paradise • Horseradish • Juniper berry • Liquorice • Mace • Mahlab • Malabathrum (tejpat) • Mustard, black • Mustard, brown • Mustard, white • Nasturtium • Nigella (kalonji) • Nutmeg • Paprika • Pepper, black • Pepper, green • Pepper, long • Pepper, pink, Brazilian • Pepper, pink, Peruvian • Pepper, white • Pomegranate seed (anardana) • Poppy seed • Saffron • Sarsaparilla • Sassafras • Sesame • Sichuan pepper (huājiāo, sansho) • Star anise • Sumac • Tasmanian pepper • Tamarind • Turmeric • Wasabi • Zedoary |
|---|
Hymenoptera
Linnaeus, 1758
Suborders
Apocrita
Symphyta
Hymenoptera is one of the larger orders of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants.
..... Click the link for more information.
InsectaLinnaeus, 1758
Orders
Subclass Apterygota
- * Archaeognatha (bristletails)
- * Thysanura (silverfish)
Subclass Pterygota
- * Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic)
..... Click the link for more information. Eulophidae
Westwood 1829
Diversity
5 subfamilies
c. 300 genera
c. 4300 species
Subfamilies
Elasminae
Entedoninae
Euderinae
Eulophinae
Tetrastichinae
Eulophidae
..... Click the link for more information.
Ezob is the Hebrew name of a plant mentioned on several occasions in the Bible, in the context of religious rituals. The herb is described as having been used in the ritual of passover, where it is mixed with lamb's blood and the mixture is sprinkled on door posts and lintels
..... Click the link for more information.
Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. Scientific classification also can be called scientific taxonomy, but should be distinguished from folk taxonomy, which lacks scientific basis.
..... Click the link for more information.
PlantaeHaeckel, 1866
[1]Divisions
Green algae Land plants (embryophytes) - Non-vascular land plants (bryophytes)
..... Click the link for more information. Magnoliophyta
Classes
Magnoliopsida - Dicots
Liliopsida - Monocots
The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. The flowering plants and the gymnosperms comprise the two extant groups of seed plants.
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Magnoliopsida
Brongniart
Orders
See text.
Dicotyledons, or "dicots", is a name for a group of flowering plants whose seed typically contains two embryonic leaves or cotyledons.
..... Click the link for more information.
Lamiales
Bromhead
Families
See text
The order Lamiales is a taxon in the asterid group of dicotyledonous flowering plants. Lamiales formerly had a restricted circumscription (e.g.
..... Click the link for more information.
Lamiaceae
Lindley
Genera
Many, see text
Ref: Watson and Dallwitz
2002-07-22
Lamiaceae or Labiatae, also known as the Mint family, is a family of plants in about 210 genera and some 3,500 species.
..... Click the link for more information. A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die at the end of the growing season to the soil level. A herbaceous plant may be annual, biennial or perennial.
Herbaceous perennial plants have stems that die at the end of the growing season.
..... Click the link for more information.
A subshrub (Latin suffrutex) is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of woody perennial plant. It is distinguished from a shrub by its ground-hugging stems and lower height, with overwintering perennial woody growth typically less than 10–20 cm
..... Click the link for more information.
Lamiaceae
Lindley
Genera
Many, see text
Ref: Watson and Dallwitz
2002-07-22
Lamiaceae or Labiatae, also known as the Mint family, is a family of plants in about 210 genera and some 3,500 species.
..... Click the link for more information. Mediterranean is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. It covers an approximate area of 2.
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Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area (or 29.4% of its land area) and, with almost 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population.
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An aroma compound, also known as odorant, aroma, fragrance, flavor, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor. A chemical compound has a smell or odor when two conditions are met: the compound needs to be volatile, so it can be transported to the
..... Click the link for more information.
leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat (laminar) and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast (chlorenchyma tissue, a type of parenchyma) to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate
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If you are prevented from editing this page, and you wish to make a change, please discuss changes on the talk page, request unprotection, log in, or .
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Ernst Rudolf von Trautvetter (1809-1889) was a Russian botanist, specialising in the flora of the Caucasus and central Asia.
He is honoured in the name of the maple Acer trautvetteri (Trautvetter's Maple), native to the Caucasus.
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Antonina Georgievna Borissova (1903-1970) was a Russian botanist, specialising in the flora of the deserts and semi-deserts of central Asia.
The standard author abbreviation Boriss.
..... Click the link for more information. For the Canadian politician, see .
Dr
Francis Buchanan, later known as
Francis Hamilton but often referred to as
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton..... Click the link for more information. David Don (21 December 1799 - 15 December 1841) was an English botanist, Professor of Botany at King's College London from 1836–1841, and librarian at the Linnean Society of London from 1822–1841.
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Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de Lamarck (August 1, 1744 – December 18, 1829) was a French soldier, naturalist, academic and an early proponent of the idea that evolution occurred and proceeded in accordance with natural laws.
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Carolus Linnaeus (Carl von Linné)
Carl von Linné, Alexander Roslin, 1775. Currently owned by and hanging at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
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Greek}}}
Writing system: Greek alphabet
Official status
Official language of: Greece
Cyprus
European Union
recognised as minority language in parts of:
European Union
Italy
Turkey
Regulated by:
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Tanakh
Torah | Nevi'im | Ketuvim
Books of Ketuvim
Three Poetic Books
1. Psalms
2. Proverbs
3. Job
Five Megillot
4. Song of Songs
5. Ruth
6.
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1, 122).
3. ^ [Frazer (1911, 1, 201), quoting Codrington (1891, 310).]
4. ^ Freud (1950, 82).
5. ^ Freud (1950, 82), citing Frazer (1911, 203).
6. ^ "Death from Lockjawat Norwich" (July 19, 1902). The People's Weekly Journal for Norfolk: p. 8.
7.
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Seasons
Temperate
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Tropical
Dry
season Cool
Hot
Wet season
Spring
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Plant propagation is the process of artificially or naturally propagating (distributing or spreading) plants.
Sexual propagation (seed)
Seeds and spores can be used for reproduction.
..... Click the link for more information. Autumn (also known as Fall in North American English) is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter. In the northern hemisphere, the start of autumn is generally considered to be around September and in the southern hemisphere, its
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