Phyla dulcis

Phyla dulcis is a species of perennial herb that is native to southern Mexico, the Caribbean (Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico), Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela.[1] It is known by several common names, including Aztec sweet herb, bushy lippia, honeyherb, hierba dulce, and tzopelic-xihuitl (Nahuatl). Its buds are also sold as dushi or dulce (sweet in Papiamento and Spanish respectively) buttons.

Phyla dulcis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Verbenaceae
Genus: Phyla
Species:
P. dulcis
Binomial name
Phyla dulcis
Synonyms[1]

Lippia dulcis Trevir.
Phyla scaberrima

Uses

This plant has historically been used as a natural sweetener and medicinal herb in its native Mexico and parts of Central America. It was used by the Aztecs and introduced to the Spanish when they arrived.

The sweet taste is caused by a sesquiterpene compound called hernandulcin, which was discovered in 1985 and named for Francisco Hernández, the Spanish physician who first described the plant in the sixteenth century.[2] Use of Phyla dulcis has not become widespread because it also contains high levels bitter compounds, especially camphor.[3][4]

References
  1. "Phyla dulcis". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2010-01-22.
  2. Vandaveer, C. What is the Aztec sweet herb? Archived 2008-05-17 at the Wayback Machine killerplants.com
  3. Attiaa M, Kimb S-U, Ro D-K. (2012). "Molecular cloning and characterization of (+)-epi-α-bisabolol synthase, catalyzing the first step in the biosynthesis of the natural sweetener, hernandulcin, in Lippia dulcis". Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. 527 (1): 37–44. doi:10.1016/j.abb.2012.07.010.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  4. Hurd, Matthew (2016). Biochemical Studies of Terpenoid Metabolism in Aztec Sweet Herb (MSc). University of Calgary. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25122.


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