Catnip

For other uses, see Catnip (disambiguation).

Catnip
Catnip flowers
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Nepeta
Species:
N. cataria
Binomial name
Nepeta cataria

Nepeta cataria, commonly known as catnip, catswort, catwort, and catmint, is a species of the genus Nepeta in the family Lamiaceae, native to southern and eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, parts of Mongolia, and parts of China. It is widely naturalized in northern Europe, New Zealand, and North America.[1][2][3][4][5] The common name catmint can also refer to the genus as a whole.

The names catnip and catmint are derived from the intense attraction about two-thirds of cats have toward the plant (alternatives exist, such as valerian root and leaves).[6][7] Catnip is also an ingredient in some herbal teas (or tisanes), and is valued for its sedative and relaxant properties.[8]

  1. ^ a b "Nepeta cataria". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 7 April 2008.
  2. ^ World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
  3. ^ Flora of China Vol. 17 p. 107 荆芥属 jing jie shu Nepeta Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 570. 1753.
  4. ^ Altervista Flora Italiana, genere Nepeta includes photos plus range maps for Europe and North America
  5. ^ Wilson, Julia. "Catnip (Nepeta cataria) – Everything You Need to Know About Catnip!". Cat-World.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  6. ^ Bol, Sebastiaan (16 March 2017). "Responsiveness of cats (Felidae) to silver vine (Actinidia polygama), Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and catnip (Nepeta cataria)". BMC Veterinary Research. 13 (1): 70. doi:10.1186/s12917-017-0987-6. PMC 5356310. PMID 28302120.
  7. ^ "Catnip (Nepeta cataria) – Everything You Need to Know About Catnip!". Cat-World.com.au. Cat World. 2014. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  8. ^ Grognet, Jeff (1990). "Catnip: Its uses and effects, past and present". The Canadian Veterinary Journal. 31 (6): 455–456. PMC 1480656. PMID 17423611.