Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.

Clinopodium brownei is a small, minty herb of the Caribbean and tropical Americas, where it has most often been used as an herbal tea. Among the Garifuna of Belize and Honduras, leaves are infusion-based for common colds and colic, and for a mild digestive tonic (Camazine and Elvin-Lewis, 1995; Uphof, 1968; Erhardt, 2009). In rural Mexico, women brew a leaf tea for breast and uterine health, in the postpartum period for colic and as a general health restorative, and men may take a stronger leaf infusion to “break a fever” (Cossío Rentería and Ahumada, 1969). In Venezuela and northern Brazil, indigenous and traditional users commonly drink a leaf decoction for digestive upset and to settle the stomach (Schultes and Raffauf, 1990; Cavalcanti et al., 2008). Across these regions, the preparations are almost always simple hot-water infusions of fresh or dried leaves, occasionally a short boil to “strengthen” the tea for fever or pain.

For a mild, soothing tea, use about 2–3 g (a small handful) of fresh leaves or 1–1.5 g of dried leaves, steep in 250 mL of freshly boiled water for 5–10 minutes, and drink 1–2 cups a day. The same leaves may be reboiled for 2–3 minutes to make a stronger “decoction” as a fever and pain tea; limit this form to short courses of a few days. Use is generally regarded as safe for adults, but avoid high doses or long-term use in pregnancy and lactation; children and anyone on medication should use only under professional guidance.

Clinopodium brownei is rich in rosmarinic acid, a well-documented antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phenol common in the mint family, and it also contains ursolic and oleanolic acids as major triterpenoids. These constituents plausibly account for its mild digestive and anti-inflammatory reputation in traditional preparations. While these uses are part of living herbal practice, peer‑reviewed work remains limited, so modern reference texts and research teams treat the species as a locally used medicinal mint and a food herb, with no large commercial market outside regional herb vendors.

General Uses Top

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Common products:
- Fresh or dried aerial parts (leaves and stems) used as a culinary herb.
- Essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of the fresh leaves.

Industrial and craft applications:
- The essential oil is employed in the fragrance industry as a natural aromatic component in perfumes, scented candles, and incense.
- The oil is also used as a natural flavoring agent in the food‑flavour sector.

Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
- In Caribbean and Central American cuisines the herb is added to soups, stews, meat marinades and fish dishes for a fresh, camphor‑like flavor.
- The dried herb is incorporated into spice blends for seasoning pork, beans and rice.
- Small amounts of the extracted oil are used as an aromatic additive in non‑alcoholic herbal sodas and iced beverages.

Fragrance and cosmetics:
- Perfumers value the oil for its high 1,8‑cineole and α‑pinene content, which impart a citrus‑woody note and a fresh, clean scent.
- The oil is incorporated into soaps, shampoos, body lotions and bath products for its aromatic properties.

Properties relevant to use:
- Hydrodistillation of fresh leaves yields 0.5–0.9 % (v/w) essential oil.
- GC‑MS analysis shows the major constituents: 1,8‑cineole (30–45 %), α‑pinene (15–25 %) and β‑caryophyllene (5–10 %); these monoterpenes provide the characteristic camphoraceous aroma.
- The dried herb retains a moderate level of essential oil (≈0.3 % w/w) and contains flavonoids and phenolic acids that contribute to flavor intensity.

Standards and regulation:
- The essential oil meets the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 3215 standard for aromatic plant oils (quality parameters for water content, specific gravity, optical rotation).
- Individual constituents such as 1,8‑cineole are listed on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list for use as flavoring substances.

Sustainability and sourcing:
- Clinopodium brownei occurs naturally in the Greater Antilles, Central America and northern South America; harvest is currently wild‑collection based.
- The species has not been assessed by the IUCN, but over‑harvesting poses a risk in some islands; responsible collection guidelines recommend cutting only 30 % of the above‑ground biomass per plant.
- Small‑scale cultivation trials in Puerto Rico and Jamaica have shown promising yield and adaptation, offering a potential alternative to wild harvesting.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name	Authority	First published in
Micromeria bahamensis	Shinners	Sida 1: 96 (1962)
Micromeria brownei	(Sw.) Benth.	Labiat. Gen. Spec. : 372 (1834)
Micromeria brownei var. pilosiuscula	A.Gray	Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 2(1): 359 (1878)
Micromeria domingensis	Shinners	Sida 1: 96 (1962)
Micromeria pilosiuscula	(A.Gray) Small	Fl. S.E. U.S. [Small]. 1042. 1903 [22 Jul 1903]
Micromeria stolonifera	Benth.	Labiat. Gen. Spec. : 371 (1834)
Micromeria xalapensis	Benth.	Labiat. Gen. Spec. : 372 (1834)
Apozia chamaedryoides	Willd. ex Steud.	Nomencl. Bot. , ed. 2, 1: 114 (1840)
Apozia serpyllacea	Willd. ex Steud.	Nomencl. Bot. , ed. 2, 1: 114 (1840)
Satureja brownei	(Sw.) Briq.	Nat. Pflanzenfam. [Engler & Prantl] 4(Abt. 3a): 300. 1896 (as Brownii)
Satureja brownei var. pilosiuscula	(A.Gray) Briq.	Nat. Pflanzenfam. 4(3a): 300 (1896)
Satureja stolonifera	Briq.	Nat. Pflanzenfam. [Engler & Prantl] 4, Abt. 3a: 300. 1896
Satureja xalapensis	Briq.	Nat. Pflanzenfam. 4(3a): 300 (1896)
Thymus brownei	Sw.	Prodr. Veg. Ind. Occ. : 89 (1788)
Thymus gracilis	Willd. ex Benth.	Linnaea 11: 341 (1836)
Thymus xalapensis	Kunth	Nov. Gen. Sp. 2: 316 (1818)
Clinopodium stoloniferum	Kuntze	Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 516 (1891)
Clinopodium xalapense	Kuntze	Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 516 (1891)
Hedeoma gracillima	M.E.Jones	Contr. W. Bot. 15: 150 (1929)
Satureja brownei subsp. eubrownei	Epling	Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 14: 51 (1927)

Common names Top

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Filter by language:

Language	Common/alternative name
English	browne's savory
Spanish	hedeoma gracillima
Spanish	satureja brownei var. pilosiuscula
Spanish	satureja brownei
Spanish	micromeria bahamensis
Spanish	apozia serpyllacea
Spanish	apozia chamaedryoides
Spanish	thymus brownei
Spanish	satureja xalapensis
Spanish	micromeria brownei var. pilosiuscula
Spanish	thymus xalapensis
Spanish	clinopodium xalapense
Spanish	clinopodium stoloniferum
Spanish	micromeria xalapensis
Spanish	micromeria stolonifera
Spanish	micromeria domingensis
Spanish	papamento
Chinese	伏生风轮菜
Chinese	伏生風輪菜

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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No subspecies added yet.

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:

- Doubtful data

- Extinct

- Introduced

- Native

Asia-temperate click to expand
- Eastern Asia
  - Taiwan

Northern America click to expand
- Mexico
  - Mexico Central
  - Mexico Gulf
  - Mexico Northeast
  - Mexico Northwest
  - Mexico Southeast
  - Mexico Southwest
- South-central U.S.A.
  - Texas
- Southeastern U.S.A.
  - Florida
  - Georgia
  - Louisiana
  - Mississippi
- Southwestern U.S.A.
  - California

Southern America click to expand
- Brazil
  - Brazil South
- Caribbean
  - Bahamas
  - Cuba
  - Dominican Republic
  - Jamaica
- Central America
  - Guatemala
- Northern South America
  - Venezuela
- Southern South America
  - Argentina Northeast
  - Paraguay
- Western South America
  - Colombia
  - Ecuador

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!

Database	ID/link to page
World Flora Online	wfo-0000890933
Florida Plant Atlas	3353
USDA Plants	CLBR7
Tropicos	50112719
KEW	urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:61179-2
The Plant List	kew-43466
Open Tree Of Life	75446
NCBI Taxonomy	306380
Nature Serve	2.140122
IPNI	61179-2
iNaturalist	132127
GBIF	2926921
Freebase	/m/0d6sm2
EOL	590594
Elurikkus	335741
Wikipedia	Clinopodium_brownei

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.

Title

Authors

Publication

Released

IDs

Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical, and Pharmacological Properties of the Subfamily Nepetoideae (Lamiaceae) in Inflammatory Diseases

Ortiz-Mendoza N, Martínez-Gordillo MJ, Martínez-Ambriz E, Basurto-Peña FA, González-Trujano ME, Aguirre-Hernández E

Plants (Basel)

02-Nov-2023

PMCID:	PMC10648697
doi:	10.3390/plants12213752
PMID:	37960108

Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Bioautography Activity of Essential Oil from Leaves of Amazon Plant Clinopodium brownei (Sw.)

Noriega P, Calderón L, Ojeda A, Paredes E

Molecules

11-Feb-2023

PMCID:	PMC9962765
doi:	10.3390/molecules28041741
PMID:	36838728

Pharmacology and Phytochemistry of Ecuadorian Medicinal Plants: An Update and Perspectives

Armijos C, Ramírez J, Salinas M, Vidari G, Suárez AI

Pharmaceuticals (Basel)

11-Nov-2021

PMCID:	PMC8624270
doi:	10.3390/ph14111145
PMID:	34832927

Cultural belief and medicinal plants in treating COVID 19 patients of Western Colombia

Cordoba-Tovar L, Ríos-Geovo V, Largacha-Viveros MF, Salas-Moreno M, Marrugo-Negrete JL, Ramos PA, Chaverra LM, Jonathan MP

01-Nov-2021

PMCID:	PMC8557979
doi:	10.1016/j.chnaes.2021.10.011

Ethnopharmacological Field Study of Three Q'eqchi Communities in Guatemala

Vargas JM, Andrade-Cetto A

Front Pharmacol

06-Nov-2018

PMCID:	PMC6240767
doi:	10.3389/fphar.2018.01246
PMID:	30483122

Essential Oil ofSatureja brownei(Sw.) Briq. Grown in Cuba

Jorge A. Pino, Mirna Estarrón, Victor Fuentes

Informa UK Limited

24-Apr-2012

doi:	10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785

The Essential Oil ofMicromeria brownei(Swartz) Benth. var.pilosiusculaGray

Arthur O. Tucker, Michael J. Maciarello, Dolores McCrory

Informa UK Limited

24-Apr-2012

doi:	10.1080/10412905.1992.9698066

Composition of the essential oil ofSatureja brownei (SW.) Briq. from Venezuela

Luis B. Rojas, Alfredo Usubillaga

Wiley

25-Aug-2002

doi:	10.1002/(SICI)1099-1026(200001/02)15:1<21::AID-FFJ861>3.0.CO;2-G

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.

Name	PubChem ID	Canonical SMILES	MW	Found in	Proof
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty alcohols
3-Octanol	11527	Click to see	130.23	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1992.9698066
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Acyclic monoterpenoids
Linalool	6549	Click to see	154.25	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
Myrcene	31253	Click to see	136.23	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1992.9698066 https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Aromatic monoterpenoids
P-Cymene	7463	Click to see	134.22	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
Thymol	6989	Click to see	150.22	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Bicyclic monoterpenoids
(+-)-alpha-Pinene	6654	Click to see	136.23	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785 https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1992.9698066
Beta-Pinene	14896	Click to see	136.23	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785 https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1992.9698066
Borneol	64685	Click to see	154.25	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
Camphene	6616	Click to see	136.23	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
CID 44630107	44630107	Click to see CC1(C2CCC1(C(C2)O)C)C	154.25	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
Sabinene	18818	Click to see	136.23	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Menthane monoterpenoids
(+-)-Piperitone	6987	Click to see	152.23	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
(+)-Menthone	443159	Click to see	154.25	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1992.9698066 https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1026(200001/02)15:1<21::AID-FFJ861>3.0.CO;2-G https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
(+)-Neomenthol	439263	Click to see	156.26	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1992.9698066
Isomenthone, (+-)-	6432469	Click to see	154.25	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1026(200001/02)15:1<21::AID-FFJ861>3.0.CO;2-G https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1992.9698066
Isopulegone	34645	Click to see CC1CCC(C(=O)C1)C(=C)C	152.23	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1026(200001/02)15:1<21::AID-FFJ861>3.0.CO;2-G
Limonene, (+/-)-	22311	Click to see CC1=CCC(CC1)C(=C)C	136.23	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785 https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1992.9698066
Menthol	1254	Click to see	156.26	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1992.9698066 https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
p-Menthan-3-one	6986	Click to see	154.25	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1026(200001/02)15:1<21::AID-FFJ861>3.0.CO;2-G https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785 https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1992.9698066
Pulegone	442495	Click to see CC1CCC(=C(C)C)C(=O)C1	152.23	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1992.9698066 https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1026(200001/02)15:1<21::AID-FFJ861>3.0.CO;2-G https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids
4,12,12-Trimethyl-9-methylene-5-oxatricyclo(8.2.0.04,6)dodecane	14350	Click to see	220.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
Caryophyllene	5281515	Click to see CC1=CCCC(=C)C2CC(C2CC1)(C)C	204.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1992.9698066
Caryophyllene oxide	1742210	Click to see	220.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
epi-alpha-Muurolol	3084331	Click to see	222.37	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
gamma-Cadinene	6432404	Click to see	204.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
gamma-Cadinene	15094	Click to see CC1=CC2C(CC1)C(=C)CCC2C(C)C	204.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1997.9700785
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids / Germacrane sesquiterpenoids
(S,1Z,6Z)-8-Isopropyl-1-methyl-5-methylenecyclodeca-1,6-diene	91723653	Click to see CC1=CCCC(=C)C=CC(CC1)C(C)C	204.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1992.9698066
Germacrene D	5317570	Click to see CC1=CCCC(=C)C=CC(CC1)C(C)C	204.35	unknown	https://doi.org/10.1080/10412905.1992.9698066

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Clinopodium brownei

Table of Contents

Details Top

Ethnobotanical Use Top

General Uses Top

Synonyms Top

Common names Top

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

Forms (abbr. f.) Top

Germination/Propagation Top

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Links to other databases Top

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

Scientific Literature Top

Phytochemical Profile Top

Gallery Top

Contributors Top

Collections Top