Origanum vulgare.

Characters. - Stem branched above, often purplish, leaves opposite, petiolate, about an inch (25 millimetres) long, roundish-ovate, obtuse, nearly entire, pellucid-punctate, hairy beneath; flowers in corymbs, with reddish bracts, a five-toothed calyx, a somewhat two-lipped, pale purple corolla, and four exserted stamens; aromatic, pungent, and bitterish.

Preparation. Vinum Aromaticum. Used externally.

Composition. - It contains a volatile oil, which has been largely superseded by the oil of thyme.

Action and Uses. - The infusion is tonic, diaphoretic, and emmenagogue. It is also used externally as a fomentation.