Phyla dulcis (syn. Lippia dulcis) is a species of perennial herbaceous plant that is native to southern Mexico, the Caribbean (Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico), Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela.[1] It is known by several common names, including Aztec sweet herb, bushy lippia, honeyherb, hierba dulce, and tzopelic-xihuitl (Nahuatl). Its buds are also sold as dushi or dulce (sweet in Papiamento and Spanish respectively) buttons.
| Phyla dulcis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Verbenaceae |
| Genus: | Phyla |
| Species: | P. dulcis
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| Binomial name | |
| Phyla dulcis | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Lippia dulcis Trevir. | |
Uses
editThis plant has historically been used as a natural sweetener and medicinal herb in its native Mexico and parts of Central America. It was used by the Aztecs and introduced to the Spanish when they arrived.
The sweet taste is caused by a sesquiterpene compound called hernandulcin, which was discovered in 1985 and named for Francisco Hernández, the Spanish physician who first described the plant in the sixteenth century.[2] Use of Phyla dulcis has not become widespread because it also contains high levels bitter compounds, especially camphor.[3][4]
References
edit- ^ a b "Lippia dulcis". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-01-22.
- ^ Vandaveer, C. What is the Aztec sweet herb? Archived 2008-05-17 at the Wayback Machine killerplants.com
- ^ Attiaa M, Kimb SU, Ro DK (2012). "Molecular cloning and characterization of (+)-epi-α-bisabolol synthase, catalyzing the first step in the biosynthesis of the natural sweetener, hernandulcin, in Lippia dulcis". Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. 527 (1): 37–44. doi:10.1016/j.abb.2012.07.010. PMID 22867794.
- ^ Hurd, Matthew (2016). Biochemical Studies of Terpenoid Metabolism in Aztec Sweet Herb (MSc). University of Calgary. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25122.
External links
edit
Data related to Phyla dulcis at Wikispecies
Media related to Phyla dulcis at Wikimedia Commons
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