Nepeta nepetella, common name lesser cat-mint,[2] is a low-growing species of catnip belonging to the family Lamiaceae. It is native to France, Spain, Italy, Algeria, and Morocco.[1][3]
Nepeta nepetella | |
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Nepeta nepetella at Orto Botanico dell'Università di Genova | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Lamiaceae |
Genus: | Nepeta |
Species: | N. nepetella
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Binomial name | |
Nepeta nepetella | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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Nepeta nepetella can reach a height of 40–80 centimetres (16–31 in). This perennial very variable plant has usually green crenate leaves and produces in summer spikes with bluish-violet small flowers about 1–1.2 centimetres (0.39–0.47 in) long.[4][5]
Nepetella, as it is commonly called (other names include nepeta, nepitella) is used in Tuscan cooking, often for mushrooms and artichokes.[6][7] Due to the difficulty in obtaining nepetella, many recipes have been rewritten to contain oregano and mint.