Bushy Lippia is a Central American plant that is used by Aztac peoples as an herbal sweetener. This perennial herb is inherent to Southern Mexico, the Caribbean, Colombia and Venezuela. It is well known of more than 200 species of Lippia are mostly from the tropics. It is a fast-growing ground cover that sends horizontal runners. It grows well in areas with full sunlight and requires a warm climate with soil pH ranging from 6 to 8. Leaves are decussate-opposite, lance-shaped-oblong about 3-10 x 1.5-3.5 cm across with narrow to pointed base, sawtoothed margins, sparsely velvet-hairy above. The leaf stalk is velvet-hairy, slender about 1 cm long, and exstipulate. Leaves are extremely sweet and known to be 1500 times sweeter than ordinary sugar. Flowers form in leaf axils in a solitary spike or cylindric head. The flower cluster stalk is hairy, round about 0.5-2.5 cm long. Flowers are aromatic, stalkless, the calyx is cup-shaped. Flowers are bluish-purple, hypocrateriform, four-lobed. The Upper 2 lobes are notched, lower 2 lobes are deflexed. The flower tube is narrow, cylindric, tip ampliates 5 x 1 mm. Fruit is a drupe, pear-shaped about 2 x 1.5 mm hard, bony separating into 2 seeded pyrenes.
Uses
- This is a stimulating and relaxing agent. The taste is very pleasant but be careful not to use it too freely as it may provoke nausea.
- The demulcent and expectorant effect to the throat and air passage is soothing to coughs, colds, whooping cough and the freeing of stuffiness in the bronchial tubes and affection thereof, in general.
- Acting upon the mucous membrane as an alternative. More serviceable combined with syrup of wild cherry or other lung tonics.
- In folk medicine, it is used for treating bronchitis, cough, liver disorders, indigestion, dysentery, and hypertension.
- The dried plant is used for hypertension, stomach troubles, inflammation, diabetes, hemorrhoids, bronchitis and hepatosis.
Facts About Bushy Lippia
| Name | Bushy Lippia |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Phyla dulcis |
| Native | Found growing in North America and also in warm regions of Asia and Africa. Cultivated in gardens of England. |
| Common/English Name | Mexican Lippia, Yerba Duce |
| Name in Other Languages | English: Aztec sweetherb, Mexican lippie, Honeyherb, Mexican lippia, Rough fogfruit, Mexican sweetleaf, Sweetleaf, Sweet lippia; German: Aztekisches Süßkraut; Spanish: Hierba dulce, Oruzuz, Yerba dulce; Afrikaans: Beukessbossie; German: Aztekisches Süßkraut , Minzverbene; Spanish:- México: Correchoncho, Hierba dulce, Perú: Menta dulce, Guatemala: Oro azul, Orozul,Orosul, Cuba, Guatemala: Orozus, Orozús, Orozuz del pais , Orozuz, Orozuz de la tierra, Oruzuz; Panamá: Regaliz, Salvia santa |
| Plant Growth Habit | Straggling shrub |
| Plant Size | 4-6 ft tall |
| Leaf | Lanceshaped-oblong, 3-10 x 1.5-3.5 cm across |
| Medicinal part | Leaves |
Bushy Lippia Scientific Classification
Scientific Name: Phyla dulcis
| Rank | Scientific Name & (Common Name) |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae (Plants) |
| Subkingdom | Viridiplantae (Green plants) |
| Infrakingdom | Streptophyta (Land plants) |
| Superdivision | Embryophyta |
| Division | Tracheophyta (Vascular plants, tracheophytes) |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Subclass | Asteridae |
| Order | Lamiales |
| Family | Verbenaceae (Verbenas, verbénacées) |
| Genus | Phyla Lour. (Frogfruit, fogfruit) |
| Species | Phyla dulcis (Trevir.) Moldenke (Aztec sweetherb, honeyherb, Mexican lippie) |
| Synonyms |
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Dose
The tincture, 10 drops in water; 1 dram of the tincture will be found sufficient to add to 4 oz. of cough syrup.
Homeopathic Clinical
Tincture of whole fresh plant—Cough.
References
