Lippia dulcis
Template:Short description Template:Speciesbox
Lippia dulcis (syn. Phyla dulcis)[1] is a species of perennial herbaceous plant that is native to southern Mexico, the Caribbean (Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico), Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela.[2] It is known by several common names, including Aztec sweet herb, bushy lippia, honeyherb, hierba dulce, and tzopelic-xihuitl (Nahuatl). Its buds are also sold as dushi or dulce (sweet in Papiamento and Spanish respectively) buttons.
Uses
This plant has historically been used as a natural sweetener and medicinal herb in its native Mexico and parts of Central America. It was used by the Aztecs and introduced to the Spanish when they arrived.
The sweet taste is caused by a sesquiterpene compound called hernandulcin, which was discovered in 1985 and named for Francisco Hernández, the Spanish physician who first described the plant in the sixteenth century.[3] Use of Lippia dulcis has not become widespread because it also contains high levels of bitter compounds, especially camphor.[4][5]
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
- ↑ Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
- ↑ Template:GRIN
- ↑ Vandaveer, C. What is the Aztec sweet herb? Template:Webarchive killerplants.com
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Template:Cite thesis
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
External links
- Pages with reference errors
- Pages with script errors
- Lippia
- Flora of Central America
- Flora of Cuba
- Flora of Colombia
- Flora of the Dominican Republic
- Flora of Haiti
- Flora of Puerto Rico
- Flora of Mexico
- Flora of Venezuela
- Plants described in 1826
- Native American cuisine
- Plants used in traditional Native American medicine
- Sugar substitutes
- Flora without expected TNC conservation status