Botanical identity
A lemon-scented herb used in teas and topical preparations.
KingdomPlantae
Phylum / divisionTracheophyta
ClassMagnoliopsida
OrderLamiales
FamilyLamiaceae
GenusMelissa
Scientific name with authorshipMelissa officinalis L.
Curated parts indexedLeaves
Indexed scientific synonyms
Faucibarba officinalis (L.) DulacMutelia officinalis (L.) Gren.Mutelia officinalis (L.) Gren. ex MutelThymus melissa E.H.L.Krause
Documented use categories
Medicine
Human food
Environmental use
Invertebrate food
Material
These categories describe the kinds of human-use reports attached to the taxon in the source checklist. Multiple categories can coexist; a plant may be recorded as both food and poison, depending on part, preparation and context.
How to interpret this record
Traditional and practical context
Traditionally associated with rest and digestive comfort.
Evidence boundary
Human evidence is limited and preparation-specific.
Safety boundary
Use caution with sedating medicines and thyroid conditions.
Dataset record and provenance
DatasetWCUPS 2020
LicenceCC BY 4.0
Name sourceIPNI
IPNI / external identifier450084-1
Use codesEU HF IF MA ME
Crop wild relativeNo
Contributing checklist sources
Kew Economic Botany CollectionEuropean Red List of Medicinal PlantsUSDA GRINMedicinal Plant Names Services v8.2
Read the full dataset citation, licence and import methodology →
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Educational index, not a treatment recommendation
The presence of a taxon in this database does not provide a diagnosis, dose, formulation or assurance of safety. Some indexed plants are toxic, regulated, endangered or unsafe in specific life stages.