Clinopodium L.

Aromatic perennial herbs, subshrubs or shrubs. Leaves opposite, toothed (sometimes entire); margin flat, not thickened. Inflorescence a thyrse, sometimes the cymes reduced to single flowers; bracts similar to stem leaves but becoming smaller in upper part of stem. Calyx 5-lobed, weakly zygomorphic to strongly 2-lipped. Corolla 2-lipped; posterior lip entire, emarginate or 4-toothed; anterior lip 3-lobed, flat. Stamens 4, fertile or upper pair reduced to staminodes, sometimes all sterile in female flowers, ascending under posterior lip. Ovary 4-lobed; style gynobasic. Nutlets trigonous, matt.

Worldwide: C. 110 species, mostly in the New World and temperate Eurasia, some in tropical Africa and Asia

Zimbabwe: 1 taxon.