Catnip (Nepeta spec)
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Catnip (Nepeta spec) by Evelyn Simak as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk
Catnip (Nepeta spec)
Image: © Evelyn Simak Taken: 14 Jun 2017
Catnip (Nepeta spec) Nepeta is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae and also known as catmints, and native to Europe, Asia and Africa and naturalised in North America. The tubular flowers can be lavender, blue, white, pink, or lilac, and spotted with tiny lavender-purple dots. The nepetalactone contained in some Nepeta species binds to the olfactory receptors of cats and is widely recognised for its ability to elicit euphoria in some, but not all, cats including domestic as well as large cats such as jaguars and tigers. The plant is also known for its medicinal properties and the use of catnip leaves and flowers in herbal teas was documented at least as early as 1735 in the General Irish Herbal. Medicinally, the plant has been used as an antispasmodic, carminative, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, sedative, and stomachic, and to diarrhea, colic, the common cold, and cancer. Catnip can reportedly be smoked for its euphoric effects.
Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
Image Location
Latitude
52.681213
Longitude
0.583047