558 
Coriaria  myrtifolia  as  an  Adulterant. 
/Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
August,  19 18. 
Majorana  hortensis  Moench  an  annual  plant  indigenous  to  southern 
Europe  but  now  generally  cultivated.  While  the  description  given 
is  for  the  whole  herb,  including  the  stems  and  branches,  this  au- 
thority likewise  admits  the  cut  or  "  species  "  form  and  the  coarsely 
ground. 
Practically  all  of  the  current  botanies  and  works  on  foods  and 
drugs  attribute  sweet  marjoram  to  the  herbaceous  annual  plant 
Origanum  majorana  L.  Karsten  separated  this  from  Origanum  and 
reestablished  the  genus  Majorana  of  Tournefort  and  thus  the  syn- 
onymy became  more  involved  as  we  have  in  use  by  different  authors 
for  the  same  plant  Majorana  Origanum  L.,  Majorana  Majorana 
Krst.,  Majorana  hortensis  Monch. 
Fig.  2.    Typical  Leaves  of  Sweet  Marjoram,  Majorana  Origanum  L. 
Although  sweet  marjoram  has  been  cultivated  as  a  seasoning 
herb  for  many  centuries,  botanists  are  far  from  agreed  as  to  its 
native  country.  E.  M.  Holmes3  states  :  "  It  is  supposed  to  be  a  native 
of  Mediterranean  countries  and  has  been  cultivated  as  a  pot  herb 
from  the  earliest  times,  being  used  for  this  purpose  by  the  ancient 
Egyptians.  It  was  introduced  into  this  country  from  North  Africa 
in  A.D.  1573,  but  is  hardly  known  in  a  truly  wild  state  in  Europe, 
and  its  native  country  must  be  regarded  as  doubtful." 
Due  allowance  must  be  made  for  the  changes  effected  by  cul- 
tivation and  the  efforts  of  the  agriculturists  and  horticulturists  with 
sweet  marjoram  that  have  extended  over  many  years.  It  is  known 
that  in  many  parts  of  Europe,  the  annual  plant,  by  cultivation,  has 
been  prolonged  to  several  years  of  growth.    The  perennial  form  of 
3  The  Perfumery  and  Essential  Oil  Record,  December,  1912. 
