Common Name: Aztec Sweet Herb

General Information

Phyla scaberrima is a strongly-scented, erect or decumbent perennial plant, rarely growing to 40cm tall with stems that often root at the lower nodes[].
The plant is sometimes cultivated for its sweet-tasting leaves, it is also said to be much used in domestic medicine in Central America[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Northern S. America - Venezuela and Colombia, through Central America to Mexico and the Caribbean.

Habitat

Damp thickets and waste ground, wooded river banks, borders of ponds, or in open clearings and pastures, from sea level to elevations of 1,800 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in full sun in any moderately fertile, well-drained soil[].

Edible Uses

The leaves have an aromatic, intensely sweet flavour[]. They can be added to salads, or used as a flavouring[]. Often, they are just chewed by people who enjoy their intense sweetness[, ]. The leaves can also be used as a sweetener in teas and other beverages[].

The liquorice-flavoured roots are chewed[].

Medicinal

The dried leaves, which contain essential oils, are demulcent and expectorant[]. They are used in the treatment of bronchial ailments, particularly whooping cough[].

Other Uses

An essential oil obtained from the plant contains the very sweet sesquiterpenoid hernandulcin, but the potential use for sweetening purposes is limited, because the main constituent of the oil is the toxic compound camphor[].

Propagation

Seed -
Cuttings of half-ripe wood.
Basal or nodal cuttings of softwood

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