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Re: Ditany of Crete? (or Cuban Oregano?)

William - 

This is a stab in the dark, but I'm wondering if what you have might
be Plectranthus (Coleus) amboinicus, often called Cuban Oregano.  It
might suggest a Kalanchoe because of its succulent, pillow-like leaves
with little 'teeth' at the tips.  These are 'fuzzy' all over kinda
like felt, whereas Ditany of Crete, whose leaves are flatter, have a
lot of hairs that are matted to the surface.  Cuban Oregano is very
aromatic, somewhere between a methol and oregano smell.  They make
an interesting plant, very attractive, but I cannot personally vouch
for their culinary use (though I hear about it routinely - see this
Web page:
 http://www.gardenweb.com/forums/load/organic/msg0910485416146.html
for some discussion of this plant).

Also, here I include an old message to CACTI_ETC on this plant (sent
'yours truely'):

 From: "Sean O'Hara" <sean.ohara@ucop.edu>
 Sender: cacti_etc@opus.hpl.hp.com
 Subject: two cuban oregano cultivars
 Date: Mon, 6 Jun 1994 12:38:20 -0700

 > From: hi23ahg@convex1.TCS.Tulane.EDU (Philp Mueller)
 > Subject: Re: Plectranthus
 > Date: Tue, 31 May 1994 14:51:31 -0700
 >
 >  Robert,
 >  I have Plectrantus amboinicus (Cuban oregano) that has very thick
 >  succulent leaves. It has a very oreganoish smell when you crush
 >  the leaves.

 > From: "Brian O'Brien" <bobrien@gac.edu>
 > Subject: Plectranthus &/or Coleus
 > Date: Tue, 31 May 1994 15:35:04 -0700
 >
 >    I, too have a plant called Cuban oregano, labeled Coleus amboinicus.  I
 >  don't know whether Coleus or Plectranthus would be the preferred generic
 >  name.  This plant is very tough, easy to propagate from cuttings, and
 >  eventually grows into a prostate shrubby plant with closely-set hairy
 >  rounded leaves.  Branches which break off of it can lie around for a
couple
 >  of months with no apparent ill effects, then root readily when planted.

 Phil & Brian -

 I understand that the botanical 'lumpers' have recently put all
 Coleus into Plectranthus, so I suppose that this latter name is the
 most correct (at the moment).  Personally, I prefer 'splitting' as
 it is often more descriptive of the differences found in these
 large, diverse groups of plants.
 
 Just to note a couple of forms of Coleus (Plectranthus) amboinicus
 offered by Glasshouse Works Greenhouses:
 
    'Ochre Flame' - "Arched stems weighted down under the weight of
    the succulent pelted paired leaves, each with a central pale lime
    flare on rich avacado green, margined with mint green crenulations."
 
    'Variegated' - Arching stems present showy pairs of fleshy crenate
    leaves bordered in bright white.  New aromatic shoots in tropical
    culinary use, notably in South Africa.
 
 I'm interested in seeing both of these myself - sounds like good
 opportunities for eye-cathing designs!
 
        Sean A. O'Hara, 710 Jean St., Oakland, Ca. 94610-1459
                        sean.ohara@ucop.edu

At 11:36 AM 3/16/98 -0800, R. Beer wrote:
>Dittany of Crete, or Origanum dictaminus, is, as the Latin name indicates,
>an oregano species.  Though its leaves are fairly stiff, they aren't
>really thick or succulent.  The largest I've seen the leaves is about 1/2
>inch across - certainly not as large as 3/4".  The smell of the leaves is
>very much like that of oregano, but stronger, and in Crete, people do use
>it as an herb.  The inflorescence is very typical for an Origanum,
>tightly-packed sets of alternating bracts from which arise the flowers.
>The individual flowers are normal mint family flowers, bilaterally
>symmetrical, with the typical lip.  Almost all plants in the mint family
>have square stems.  The leaves are round, not notched.
>
>I've also never heard of an aromatic Kalanchoe, though there are several
>species that have fuzzy leaves and there may be some Kalanchoe flowers are
>radially symmetrical and 4-petaled.  Beyond that they are quite variable. 
>Although leaves in Kalanchoe are also paired on the stem, they are usually
>notched at the edge; in several species, small plants will grow from these
>notches.  The stems are round, not square. 
>
>That should at least help; if not, try and get it to bloom and the flowers
>will tell you.
>
>Bob
>
>
>On Mon, 16 Mar 1998, William M. Groth wrote:
>> Hello all,
>> 
>> I recently found a wonderful little plant with succulent type leaves.  The
>> leaves
>> are only about 3/4 inch in diameter and they are somewhat green and fuzzy.
>> The
>> people at the local nursery said they believed it was a Kalanchoe but I
>> wonder.
>> The leaves are very aromatic with a spicy-minty aroma and they said it is
>> called
>> "Menthol" in the trade.  I also have a thriving Ditney of Crete and
these two
>> plants look almost identical.  The newer one has a more upright character
>> at the
>> moment and the leaves on the older plant are a little shinier.
Otherwise they
>> are virtually identical.  Is there a dwarf type Kalanchoe which is
aromatic?
>> Is there a possibility that Ditney of Crete would be considered a
succulent?
>> What are your thoughts?
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