ABSTRACT
The genus Origanum L. (Tribe Mentheae, Family Labiatae) is represented in Turkey by 22 species or 32 taxa, 21 being endemic to Turkey (Table 4.1). The rate of endemism among the Turkish Origanum species is 63 per cent. Out of 52 known taxa of Origanum, 32 are distributed in Anatolia, meaning 60 per cent of all Origanum taxa are recorded to grow in Turkey. This high rate is suggestive that the gene centre of Origanum is Turkey (Ietswaart, 1980; Davis, 1982; Lawrence, 1984; Kokkini, 1997).
