Diversity of Satureja pilosa subsp. origanita essential oils: A new “oregano” from East Mediterranean

Satureja pilosa Velen. subsp. origanita Dardioti & Kokkini, is a recently described endemic taxon of NE Greece (Thrace). Its epithet reflects the prominent odor of the plants, due to which it is used by the local people as an “oregano” herb. However, the study of 19 populations scattered along the taxon’s range, revealed that the plants are characterized by a variety of odors. In particular plants from 10 populations, having essential oils rich in carvacrol (up to 62.3% of the total oil), emitted an “oregano” odor, while plants from seven populations, with oils rich in p-cymene (up to 49.8%) and/or thymol (up to 48.1%) had a “thyme” odor; the plants from the other two populations, with linalool-rich oils (59.2 and 82.7%) had a prominent “lavender” odor. A discriminant analysis with pre-defined groups the bioclimatic zone wherefrom the plants were collected has shown that the essential oil content and the amount of carvacrol gradually decrease from the Mesomediterranean to the Temperate Axeric bioclimates, while the amounts of p-cymene, thymol and linalool, increase. Our results, supported by similar findings concerning East Mediterranean taxa traded as “oregano”, have shown that in order to characterize a herb as “true oregano”, the plant odor, reflecting the oil composition, as well as the collection areas of the plants should be taken into account.

► Satureja pilosa subsp. origanita grown in NE Greece is locally used as oregano.
► Carvacrol-rich plants occur in Mesomediterranean bioclimate.
► Thymol/p-cymene and linalool-rich plants occur in more mesic bioclimates.
► Similar variation is found in oregano herbs of East Mediterranean.