Article

Thessaloniki, one of the oldest cities in Europe, has been throughout its history a melting point of different cultures. The market of the city trades with a high number of herbs used traditionally since ancient times for culinary and/or therapeutical purposes. Labiatae, the most frequently recorded family, includes the highest number of plant taxa. The aim of the present study is to identify taxonomically the different Labiatae herbs and furthermore to record information for their origin (Greek or imported, collected from the wild or cultivated), frequency of appearance, way of usage, and healing properties. Their vernacular names do not correspond to a single species but ,,:ery often to a group of similarly-odoured taxa, such in the cases of "oregano" and "mountain tea". Most of the Labiatae taxa are of Greek origin and collected from the wild. Among them are local or balkan endemics, such as Origanum dictamnus and the different species of Sideritis. Because oftheir essential oils, Labiatae are widely used in food flavouring and in folk medicine. The digestive, nervous and respiratory are the frequently mentioned diseases, recorded to be treated by the Labiatae plants.