Lippia alba

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}

{{speciesbox

|image = Lippia alba.jpg

|image_caption =

|genus = Lippia

|species = alba

|authority = (Mill.) N.E.Br. ex Britton & P.Wilson{{GRIN | access-date=2010-01-21}}

|synonyms =

{{Collapsible list |{{Plainlist | style = margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; |

• Camara alba (Mill.) Kuntze
• Lantana alba Mill.
• Lantana cuneatifolia Klotzsch ex Walp.
• Lantana geminata (Kunth) Spreng.
• Lantana lippioides Hook. & Arn. nom. illeg.
• Lantana malabarica Hayek
• Lantana mollissima Desf.
• Lantana odorata (Pers.) Weigelt ex Cham. nom. illeg.
• Lippia asperifolia Poepp. ex Cham.
• Lippia carterae (Moldenke) G.L.Nesom
• Lippia citrata Willd. ex Cham.
• Lippia crenata Sessé & Moc.
• Lippia geminata Kunth
• Lippia globiflora (L'Hér.) Kuntze
• Lippia havanensis Turcz.
• Lippia lantanifolia F.Muell.
• Lippia lantanoides (Lam.) Herter nom. illeg.
• Lippia lantanoides J.M.Coult. nom. illeg.
• Lippia obovata Sessé & Moc.
• Lippia panamensis Turcz.
• Lippia unica Ramakr.
• Verbena globiflora L'Hér.
• Verbena globulifera Spreng.
• Verbena lantanoides (Lam.) Willd. ex Spreng.
• Zappania geminata (Kunth) Gibert
• Zappania globiflora (L'Hér.) Juss.
• Zappania globiflora (L'Hér.) Willd.
• Zappania lantanoides Lam.
• Zappania odorata Pers.

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|synonyms_ref = {{cite web |url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-113316 |title=The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species |access-date=February 8, 2014}}

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File:Folha de lippia alba.jpg

File:Flowers and leaves of bushy matgrass.jpg

Lippia alba is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family, Verbenaceae, that is native to southern Texas in the United States,{{cite web |url=http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/lippiaalba.htm |title=Bushy Lippia, White-flowered Lippia, Hierba Negra, Hierba del Negro, Hierba Buena, Alfombirlla, Cidrilla, Oregano de Burro, Salva do Brasil, Salva Colorado, Te de Castilla, Toronjil de Espana Mirto, Juan slama, Salvia, Sonora, Mastranto, Te del Pais, Te de Maceta, Te del Pan Lippia alba (L. geminata) |work=Benny Simpson's Texas Native Shrubs |publisher=Texas A&M University |access-date=2010-01-21}} Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

In Ethiopia the plant is also known as koseret (Amharic: ኮሰረት) and used as a cooking herb, especially for preparing the spiced butter niter kibbeh.

The species is also present in Australia and India, where it is probably a human introduction.Munir, A.A. (1993b). A taxonomic revision of the genus Lippia [Houst. ex] L. (Verbenaceae) in Australia. J

Adelaide Bot Gard. 15(2): 129-145. Common names include bushy matgrass, bushy lippia, hierba negra, juanilama, pamporegano, poleo and pitiona.{{cite book |first=Gary |last=Allen |title=The Herbalist in the Kitchen |publisher=University of Illinois Press |year=2007|isbn=978-0-252-03162-5 |page=423}} It is a multi-branched shrub, reaching a height of {{convert|1.5|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Leaves measure {{convert|1|to|3|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length and {{convert|0.9|to|2|cm|in|abbr=on}} in width and are opposite or in threes. Flowers with white, pink, or light blue-purple corollas form on spikes {{convert|2|cm|in|abbr=on}} long.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vn5Rd-Yo-g4C |first=Arthur O. |last=Tucker |author2=Thomas DeBaggio |title=The Encyclopedia of Herbs: A Comprehensive Reference to Herbs of Flavor and Fragrance |edition=2 |year=2009 |publisher=Timber Press |isbn=978-0-88192-994-2 |pages=298–299}}