Lagochilus inebrians

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Lamiales

Familia: Lamiaceae
Subfamilia: Lamioideae
Genus: Lagochilus
Species: Lagochilus inebrians
Name

Lagochilus inebrians Bunge
References

Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Pétersbourg 7:438. 1847
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Lagochilus inebrians in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 07-Oct-06.

Lagochilus inebrians, commonly known as inebriating mint, intoxicating mint, or Turkistan mint, is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae. The name Lagochilus inebrians is derived from the Greek words lagos and cheilos, literally meaning "hare" and "lip/cheek" and inebrians meaning intoxicating, thus translating to intoxicating hare's lip. The name reflects the morphology of the upper lip of the flower's corolla.

Lagochilus inebrians is widely distributed in the Samarkand and Bukhara provinces of Uzbekistan. It is also found in some areas of Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. It grows on the piedmont plains and low foothills, dried up streams and rubbly slopes, on scree and gravel, and in dry grassy-sagebrush and grassland steppes.
Taxonomy

Lagochilus inebrians is a member of the family Lamiaceae and the genus Lagochilus. L. inebrians is a shrub with numerous stems reaching a height of 20–80 centimetres (10–30 in), woody at the base, simple or branched, leafy, lowered in the upper part, at the bottom - covered with a white shiny crust. Leaves are opposite, broad, both sides are covered with scattered hairs and glands. Leaves broadly ovate, pubescent on both sides. Flowers sit in the axils of upper leaves. Corolla is white or pale pink with brown veins. Calyx is pubescent, wide-belled and five-petaled. The fruits are naked brown nuts. The flowers bloom May through June and it ripens in August through September.
Uses

In the folk medicine of Central Asia, L. inebrians is used as a styptic. The dried form of L. inebrians collected during its flowering period is used as a medicinal product and as a raw material. The raw material consists of a mixture of flowers and a small number of small leaves and thin stalks of green or dark-brownish color. The raw material contains the diterpene lagochiline, essential oils, tannins, organic acids, carotene, ascorbic acid, calcium, iron, and other compounds.

Grass of L. inebrians is harvested during the flowering period, beveling it with sickles, or by cutting it with shears at a height of about 5 centimetres (2 in) from the ground. When harvesting L. inebrians - 1-2 fruiting plants are left untouched for every 5 square metres (50 sq ft) to ensure their renewal. For normal regrowth and replenishment of this species harvesting its raw materials on the same sites is allowed no more than once in 2–3 years. Drying the raw material is done in the shade for 5–6 days, stirring occasionally. Flowers and leaves are separated from stems by shaking it down. Harvested raw materials are stored in dry, ventilated areas.
References