Catnip

Last updated

Catnip
Catnip flowers.jpg
Catnip flowers
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Nepeta
Species:
N. cataria
Binomial name
Nepeta cataria
L.
Synonyms [1]
  • Cataria vulgaris
  • Glechoma cataria
  • Nepeta vulgaris

Nepeta cataria, commonly known as catnip and catmint, is a species of the genus Nepeta in the mint family, native to southern and eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. It is widely naturalized in northern Europe, New Zealand, and North America. The common name catmint can also refer to the genus as a whole.

Contents

The names catnip and catmint are derived from the intense attraction about two-thirds of cats have toward the plant. Catnip is also an ingredient in some herbal teas, and is valued for its sedative and relaxant properties.

Description

Nepeta cataria is a short-lived perennial that grows 30 to 100 cm (12 to 39 in) tall, usually with several stems. [2] Each of its stems is square in cross section, as typical of the mint family, and somewhat gray in color. [3] It is a herbaceous plant that regrows from a taproot. [2] However, it does not deeply root. [4] Older plants tend to have more branches with particularly healthy plants becoming mound shaped. [5]

The leaves are canescent in appearance, white in color due to being covered in fine hairs, especially so on the lower side of the leaves. [2] They are attached in pairs to opposite sides of the stems. [6] Leaf shapes vary from cordate, deltoid, to ovate; shaped like a heart, triangle, or like an egg. [5] They are attached by leaf stems and have a length of 2 to 9 cm (0.8 to 3.5 in) and 0.6 to 6 cm (0.2 to 2.4 in) wide. [7] The edges of the leaves are coarsely crenate to serrate, having a wavy, rounded edge to have asymmetrical teeth like those of a saw that point forward. [2]

The flowers are in loose groups in an inflorescence. The lowest flowers more widely spaced and the end more tightly packed into a spike. [5] The inflorescences are at the end of branches and may be 2 to 8 cm (0.8 to 3.1 in) long and have inconspicuous bracts. [2] A single plant may produce several thousand flowers, but at any time less than 10% of them will be in full bloom. [8] The flowers themselves are somewhat small and inconspicuous, [9] but quite fragrant. [3] They are bilaterally symetrical and measure 10–12 mm long. [8] The petals are off white to pink and usually dotted with purple-pink spots. [10] They are bilabiate with the upper lip having two lobes and the lower one much wider with a scalloped edge. [2]

The fruit is a nutlet that is nearly triquetrous, three sided with sharp edges and concave sides, and over all shaped like an egg. They are approximately 1.7 mm by 1 mm. [11] Each nutlet may contain between one and four seeds. [8] They are dark reddish-brown in color with two white spots near the base. [12]

Taxonomy

Nepeta cataria was one of the many species described by Linnaeus in 1753 in his landmark work Species Plantarum . [13] He had previously described it in 1738 as Nepeta floribus interrupte spicatis pedunculatis (meaning "Nepeta with flowers in a stalked, interrupted spike"), before the commencement of Linnaean taxonomy. [14] Catnip is classified in part of Nepeta in the Lamiaceae, commonly known as the mint family. [15] It has no subspecies or varieties. [1]

Synonyms

Nepeta cataria has 19 botanical synonyms, 16 of which are species. Only three are exactly equivelent to the current description of the species. [1]

Table of Synonyms
NameYearRankNotes
Calamintha albifloraVaniot1904species= het.
Cataria tomentosaGilib.1782species= het. opus utique oppr.
Cataria vulgarisGaterau1789species≡ hom.
Glechoma cataria(L.) Kuntze1891species≡ hom.
Glechoma macrura(Ledeb. ex Spreng.) Kuntze1891species= het.
Nepeta americanaVitman1789species= het. nom. illeg.
Nepeta bodinieriVaniot1904species= het.
Nepeta cataria var. canescensSennen1903variety= het. nom. nud.
Nepeta cataria var. citriodoraDumoulin ex Lej.1825variety= het.
Nepeta cataria f. laurentii(Sennen) Font Quer1951form= het.
Nepeta ceretanaSennen1931species= het.
Nepeta citriodora(Dumoulin ex Lej.) Dumort.1827species= het.
Nepeta laurentiiSennen1934species= het.
Nepeta macruraLedeb. ex Spreng.1825species= het.
Nepeta minorMill.1768species= het.
Nepeta mollisSalisb.1796species= het. nom. illeg.
Nepeta ruderalisBoiss.1879species= het. nom. illeg.
Nepeta tomentosaVitman1789species= het.
Nepeta vulgarisLam.1779species≡ hom. nom. superfl.
Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym  ; = heterotypic synonym

Names

The species name cataria means "of cats". It derives from the medieval Latin herba catti or herba cattaria used by medieval herbalists. [16] The English common name catnip is first recorded in 1775 in the colony of Pennsylvania, but now has worldwide usage. [17] The variant catnep was also coined in the United States around 1806, but never became common elsewhere and is now very rarely used. [18]

The first usage of catmint was in about 1300 in the form kattesminte. It continues to be used for Nepeta cataria, though it is also used for other species in the genus and the Nepeta as a genus. [19] In medieval English it was also called cat-wort, but it is no longer used in English dying out by about 1500. [20]

Another name with a medieval origin was nep, neps, or nepe. Originating about 1475, it was more common but has become a regional name for catnip used in East Anglia. [21] [22]

In medieval England it was known by various names in botanical manuscripts. It was called calamentum minus and nasturcium mureligi. [23] It was also called nepeta or variants, but other species or genuses like the dead-nettles ( Lamium ) were also sometimes called this. [24] It was also sometimes called collocasia, but this was more often applied to horse-mints especially Mentha longifolia . [25]

Range and habitat

According to Plants of the World Online, the native range of catnip includes a large part of Eurasia. [1] In Europe it is certainly native to the south around the Mediterranean and in the east, but sources disagree on its native status in the north in countries like the Baltic Countries, Germany, the Netherlands, and England. Around the Mediterranean it is idetified as native in Portugal, Spain, France, Corsica, Italy, Switzerland, the former Yugoslavia, Albania, and Greece. In the East it is native to Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Belarus, European Russia, and the Caucasus. It is generally agreed to be an introduced species in Scandinavia, Poland, and may also grow in Ireland. [1] [26]

In Asia its range extends from Turkey into Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. Eastward it continues to Iran and Pakistan and the western Himalayas, but no further into India. It is native to all of Central Asia including Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kirghistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan and also extends to western Siberia. Its native status in China is disputed as it also is in the Russian Far East, Nepal, Korea, and Japan. [1] [26]

In Africa it may grow in Morrocco, but this report is doubtful. [1] It also grows as introduced species on the island of Java. [1] In Australia it has been reported in the states of South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and Tasmania. [27] It grows on both the north and south islands of New Zealand and was introduced there in 1870. [28]

In North America it grows in Canada from the island of Newfoundland to British Columbia, but not in Labrador or the three northern Canadian territories. [29] In the United States it is present in 48 states, only absent from Florida and Hawaii. [30]

In South America it grows in many parts of Argentina as well as in Colombia. [1]

It grows in a variety of soils from clay to sandy or even shallow and rocky. It requires good drainage and not to be water logged. [31]

Uses

Nepeta cataria Sturm24cleaned.jpg
Starr 070906-8819 Nepeta cataria.jpg

The plant terpenoid nepetalactone is the main chemical constituent of the essential oil of Nepeta cataria. Nepetalactone can be extracted from catnip by steam distillation. [32]

Cultivation

Nepeta cataria is cultivated as an ornamental plant for use in gardens. It is also grown for its attractant qualities to house cats and butterflies. [3]

The plant is drought-tolerant and deer-resistant. It can be a repellent for certain insects, including aphids and squash bugs. [3] Catnip is best grown in full sunlight and grows as a loosely branching, low perennial. [33]

The cultivar Nepeta cataria 'Citriodora', also known as lemon catmint, is known for the strong lemon-scent of its leaves. [34]

Biological control

The iridoid that is deposited on cats who have rubbed themselves against the plants and scratched the surfaces of catnip and silver vine (Actinidia polygama) leaves repels mosquitoes. [35] The compound iridodial, an iridoid extracted from catnip oil, has been found to attract lacewings that eat aphids and mites. [36]

As an insect repellent

Nepetalactone is a mosquito and fly repellent. [37] [38] Oil isolated from catnip by steam distillation is a repellent against insects, in particular mosquitoes, cockroaches, and termites. [39] [40] Research suggests that, while a more effective spatial repellant than DEET, [41] it is not as effective of a repellent when used on the skin of humans as SS220 or DEET. [42]

Effect of ingestion on humans

Catnip has a history of use in traditional medicine for a variety of ailments such as stomach cramps, indigestion, fevers, hives, and nervous conditions. The plant has been consumed as a tisane, juice, tincture, infusion, or poultice, and has also been smoked. [43] However, its medicinal use has fallen out of favor with the development of modern medicine. [44]

Effect on felines

Effects of catnip on most domestic cats include rolling, pawing, and frisking. For cats not biologically affected by catnip, other plants that may trigger a response include valerian root and leaves, silver vine, and Tatarian honeysuckle wood. Catnip-effects.jpg
Effects of catnip on most domestic cats include rolling, pawing, and frisking. For cats not biologically affected by catnip, other plants that may trigger a response include valerian root and leaves, silver vine, and Tatarian honeysuckle wood.

Catnip contains the feline attractant nepetalactone. N. cataria (and some other species within the genus Nepeta) are known for their behavioral effects on the cat family, not only on domestic cats, but also other species. [44] Several tests showed that leopards, cougars, servals, and lynxes often reacted strongly to catnip in a manner similar to domestic cats. Lions and tigers may react strongly as well, but they do not react consistently in the same fashion. [45] [46] [47] [48]

With domestic cats, N. cataria is used as a recreational substance for the enjoyment of pet cats, and catnip and catnip-laced products designed for use with domesticated cats are available to consumers. Common behaviors cats display when they sense the bruised leaves or stems of catnip are rubbing on the plant, rolling on the ground, pawing at it, licking it, and chewing it. Consuming much of the plant is followed by drooling, sleepiness, anxiety, leaping about, and purring. [49] Some growl, meow, scratch, or bite at the hand holding it. [50] [51] The main response period after exposure is generally between 5 and 15 minutes, after which olfactory fatigue usually sets in. [52] However, about one-third of cats are not affected by catnip. [53] [44] The behavior is hereditary. [54]

Cats detect nepetalactone through their olfactory epithelium, not through their vomeronasal organ. [55] At the olfactory epithelium, the nepetalactone binds to one or more olfactory receptors.

A 1962 pedigree analysis of 26 cats in a Siamese breeding colony suggested that the catnip response was caused by a Mendelian-dominant gene. A 2011 pedigree analysis of 210 cats in two breeding colonies (taking into account measurement error by repeated testing) showed no evidence for Mendelian patterns of inheritance but demonstrated heritabilities of h2 = 0.51–0.89 for catnip response behavior, indicating a polygenic liability threshold model. [56] [57]

A study published in January 2021 suggests that felines are specifically attracted to the iridoids nepetalactone and nepetalactol, present in catnip and silver vine, respectively. [58]

Cats younger than six months might not exhibit behavioral change to catnip. [59] Up to a third of cats are genetically immune to catnip effects but may respond in a similar way to other plants such as valerian (Valeriana officinalis) root and leaves, silver vine or matatabi ( Actinidia polygama ), and Tatarian honeysuckle ( Lonicera tatarica ) wood. [60]

See also

Notes

    Citations

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Nepeta cataria L." Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 13 December 2024.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cronquist et al. 1984, p. 318.
    3. 1 2 3 4 "Nepeta cataria". Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder. n.d. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
    4. ↑ Lawton 2002, p. 12.
    5. 1 2 3 Heil et al. 2013, p. 618.
    6. ↑ Cox 2005, p. 90.
    7. ↑ Welsh et al. 1987, p. 333.
    8. 1 2 3 Sih & Baltus 1987, p. 1680.
    9. ↑ Lawton 2002, p. 69.
    10. ↑ Strid 2016, p. 363.
    11. ↑ Li, Xi-wen (李锡文); Hedge, Ian C. (1994). Wu, Z. Y.; Raven, P. H. (eds.). "Nepeta cataria". Flora of China @ efloras.org. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
    12. ↑ Muenscher 1949, p. 401.
    13. ↑ Linnaeus 1753, p. 570.
    14. ↑ Spencer, Cross & Lumley 2007, p. 14.
    15. ↑ Lawton 2002, pp. 11, 69.
    16. ↑ Casselman 1997.
    17. ↑ "catnip" . Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press.(Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
    18. ↑ "catnep" . Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/OED/1365832950.(Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
    19. ↑ "catmint" . Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press.(Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
    20. ↑ "cat-wort" . Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press.(Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
    21. ↑ "nep" . Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press.(Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
    22. ↑ Britten & Holland 1886, p. 353.
    23. ↑ Hunt 1989, pp. 60, 184.
    24. ↑ Hunt 1989, p. 185.
    25. ↑ Hunt 1989, p. 85.
    26. 1 2 Hassler, Michael (6 December 2024). "Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. Version 24.12". World Plants. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
    27. ↑ "Species: Nepeta cataria (Catmint)". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
    28. ↑ "Nepeta cataria L." Flora of New Zealand Series. Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. Archived from the original on 16 December 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
    29. ↑ VASCAN (2022). "Nepeta cataria Linnaeus". Database of Vascular Plants of Canada. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
    30. ↑ NRCS (15 December 2024), "Nepeta cataria", PLANTS Database, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
    31. ↑ "Nepeta cataria (Catmint, Catnip, Catswort)". North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. North Carolina State University. Archived from the original on 9 September 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
    32. ↑ "DIY Kitty Crack: ultra-potent catnip extract". Instructables . 3 June 2007. Archived from the original on 12 July 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
    33. ↑ "Growing Catnip – Bonnie Plants". Archived from the original on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
    34. ↑ Mahr, Susan (n.d.). "Lemon-scented Plants". Wisconsin Horticulture, Division of Extension. University of Wisconsin, Madison. Archived from the original on 14 June 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
    35. ↑ Reiko et al. 2022, p. 7.
    36. ↑ Bliss 2007, p. 7.
    37. ↑ Kingsley, Danny (3 September 2001). "Catnip sends mozzies flying". ABC Science Online. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
    38. ↑ Junwei J. Zhu, Christopher A. Dunlap, Robert W. Behle, Dennis R. Berkebile, Brian Wienhold. (2010). Repellency of a wax-based catnip-oil formulation against stable flies. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 58 (23): 12320–12326 (8 Nov 2010, doi : 10.1021/jf102811k).
    39. ↑ Schultz, Peterson & Coats 2006, pp. 170–173.
    40. ↑ "Termites Repelled by Catnip Oil". Southern Research Station, United States Department of Agriculture – Forest Service. 26 March 2003.
    41. ↑ "Catnip Repels Mosquitoes More Effectively Than DEE". ScienceDaily.com. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
    42. ↑ Chauhan et al. 2005, p. 643.
    43. ↑ Grognet 1990, p. 456.
    44. 1 2 3 Grognet 1990, p. 455.
    45. ↑ Reader's Digest: Does Catnip "Work" On Big Cats Like Lions And Tigers? Accessed 22 May 2015 Archived:https://web.archive.org/web/20130118224630/http://www.readersdigest.ca/pets/fun-facts/does-catnip-work-big-cats-lions-and-tigers/
    46. ↑ Poole, Chris (2 August 2010). Q: Do Tigers Like Catnip?. Big Cat Rescue. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2015– via YouTube.
    47. ↑ Poole, Chris (19 March 2013). Q: Do Tigers Like Catnip? Part 2. Big Cat Rescue. Archived from the original on 3 November 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2015– via YouTube.
    48. ↑ Durand, Marcella (4 March 2003). "Heavenly Catnip". CatsPlay.com. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
    49. ↑ "Catnip Overdose or Something More Serious? - TheCatSpace". 27 February 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
    50. ↑ Becker & Spadafori 2006, pp. 164–165.
    51. ↑ Spadafori, Gina (2006). "Here, Boy!". Universal Press Syndicate. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
    52. ↑ Moore 2007, p. 147.
    53. ↑ Bol et al. 2017, p. 2.
    54. ↑ Stromberg, Joseph (12 September 2014). "How catnip gets your cat high". Vox. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
    55. ↑ Hart & Leedy 1985, p. 38.
    56. ↑ Todd 1962, "Inheritance of the catnip response in domestic cats"
    57. ↑ Villani 2011, "Heritability and Characteristics of Catnip Response in Two Domestic Cat Populations"
    58. ↑ Moutinho, Sofia (20 January 2021). "Why cats are crazy for catnip". Science. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
    59. ↑ "Crazy for catnip". HumaneSociety.org. Humane Society of the United States. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
    60. ↑ Bol et al. 2017, p. 1.

    Related Research Articles

    <i>Nepeta</i> Genus of flowering plants, known for effect on cats (catnip) in the mint family (Lamiaceae)

    Nepeta is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. The genus name, from Latin nepeta (“catnip”), is reportedly in reference to Nepete, an ancient Etruscan city. There are 295 accepted species.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Valerian (herb)</span> Species of flowering plant

    Valerian is a perennial flowering plant native to Eurasia. It produces a catnip-like response in cats.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Nepetalactone</span> Chemical compound

    Nepetalactone is a name for multiple iridoid analog stereoisomers. Nepetalactones are produced by Nepeta cataria (catnip) and many other plants belonging to the genus Nepeta, in which they protect these plants from herbivorous insects by functioning as insect repellents. They are also produced by many aphids, in which they are sex pheromones. Nepetalactones are cat attractants, and cause the behavioral effects that catnip induces in domestic cats. However, they affect visibly only about two thirds of adult cats. They produce similar behavioral effects in many other felids, especially in lions and jaguars. In 1941, the research group of Samuel M. McElvain was the first to determine the structures of nepetalactones and several related compounds.

    <i>Primula <span style="font-style:normal;">sect.</span> Dodecatheon</i> Section of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae

    Primula sect. Dodecatheon is a section of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. Primula species in this section were formerly placed in a separate genus, Dodecatheon. The species have basal clumps of leaves and nodding flowers that are produced at the top of tall stems rising from where the leaves join the crown. The genus is largely confined to North America and part of northeastern Siberia. Common names include shooting star, American cowslip, mosquito bills, mad violets, and sailor caps. A few species are grown in gardens for their showy and unique flower display.

    <i>Cornus canadensis</i> Species of flowering plant

    Cornus canadensis is a species of flowering plant in the dogwood family Cornaceae, native to eastern Asia and North America. Common names include Canadian dwarf cornel, Canadian bunchberry, quatre-temps, crackerberry, and creeping dogwood. Unlike its relatives, which are for the most part substantial trees and shrubs, C. canadensis is a creeping, rhizomatous perennial growing to about 20 centimetres tall.

    Catnip, Nepeta cataria, is a species in the family Lamiaceae (mint).

    <i>Agastache</i> Genus of flowering plants

    Agastache is a genus of aromatic flowering herbaceous perennial plants in the family Lamiaceae. It contains 22 species, mainly native to North America, one species native to eastern Asia. The common names of the species are a variety of fairly ambiguous and confusing "hyssops" and "mints"; as a whole the genus is known as giant hyssops or hummingbird mints.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Nepi</span> Comune in Lazio, Italy

    Nepi is a town and comune in the province of Viterbo, Lazio, central Italy. The town lies 30 kilometres (19 mi) southeast of the city of Viterbo and about 13 kilometres (8 mi) southwest from Civita Castellana.

    <i>Triosteum</i> Genus of flowering plants

    Triosteum, commonly known in American English as horse-gentian or, less commonly, feverwort, and, in Standard Chinese as 莛子藨属, is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Caprifoliaceae. A genus of six species in total, it has three species native to North America, and three more in eastern Asia.

    <i>Nepeta <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> faassenii</i> Species of flowering plant

    Nepeta × faassenii, a flowering plant also known as catmint and Faassen's catnip, is a primary hybrid of garden origin. The parent species are Nepeta racemosa and Nepeta nepetella.

    A cat pheromone is a chemical molecule, or compound, that is used by cats and other felids for communication. These pheromones are produced and detected specifically by the body systems of cats and evoke certain behavioural responses.

    <i>Actinidia polygama</i> Species of plant

    Actinidia polygama is a species of kiwifruit in the family Actinidiaceae. It grows in the mountainous areas of Korea, Japan and China at elevations between 500 and 1,900 metres.

    <i>Lonicera tatarica</i> Species of honeysuckle

    Lonicera tatarica is a species of honeysuckle known by the common name Tatarian honeysuckle. Native to Eurasia, the plant is one of several exotic bush honeysuckles present in North America, being considered an invasive species there.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Iridomyrmecin</span> Chemical compound

    Iridomyrmecin is a defensive chemical, classified as an iridoid, isolated from ants of the genus Iridomyrmex. It has also evolved into a sex pheromone in wasps such as Leptopilina, with host species using the smell of iridomyrmecin as a way of detecting the presence of the parasitoid wasps. Iridomyrmecin is also found in a variety of plants including Actinidia polygama.

    <i>Nepeta racemosa</i> Plant species in the mint family

    Nepeta racemosa, the dwarf catnip or raceme catnip, syn. N. mussiniii, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to the Caucasus, Turkey and northern Iran. Growing to 30 cm (12 in) tall by 45 cm (18 in) wide, it is a herbaceous perennial with aromatic leaves and violet or lilac-blue flowers in summer.

    <i>Nepeta nepetella</i> Species of flowering plant

    Nepeta nepetella, common name lesser cat-mint, is a low-growing species of catnip belonging to the family Lamiaceae. It is native to France, Spain, Italy, Algeria, and Morocco.

    1. Nepeta nepetella subsp. aragonensis(Lam.) Nyman - Spain, Algeria, Morocco
    2. Nepeta nepetella subsp. laciniata(Willk.) Aedo - Sierra Nevada of southern Spain
    3. Nepeta nepetella subsp. murcica(Guirão ex Willk.) Aedo - Morocco, southern Spain
    4. Nepeta nepetella subsp. nepetella - Pyrenees, western Alps, + Apennines of Spain, France, Italy
    <i>Nepeta grandiflora</i> Plant species in the mint family

    Nepeta grandiflora is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to the Caucasus. Growing to 75 cm (30 in) tall by 30 cm (12 in), it is a clump-forming, erect deciduous herbaceous perennial with aromatic, slightly hairy, grey-green leaves, and spikes of purple/blue flowers in early summer. Species of Nepeta are called catnip or catmint, with reference to their reported effect on some domestic cats. The plants seem to induce a euphoria in the animals, causing them to roll in the foliage and exhibit signs of intoxication.

    <i>Nepeta sibirica</i> Species of flowering plant

    Nepeta sibirica, the Siberian catmint, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to Siberia.

    <i>Nepeta curviflora</i> Species of flowering plant

    Nepeta curviflora, commonly known as Syrian catnip, is a herbaceous flowering plant native to the Middle East. It was first described in 1844.

    Several non-human animal species are said to engage in apparent recreational drug use, that is, the intentional ingestion of psychoactive substances in their environment for pleasure, though claims of such behavior in the wild are often controversial. This is distinct from zoopharmacognosy, in which animals ingest or topically apply non-food substances for their health benefits, as a form of self-medication.

    References

    Books
    Journals

    Further reading

    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.