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''Melissa officinalis'', known as lemon balm, balm, common balm, or balm mint, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the mint family Lamiaceae, native to south-central Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean region, and Central Asia.〔(Kewe World Checklist of Selected Plant Families )〕 It grows to tall. The leaves have a gentle lemon scent, related to mint. During summer, small white flowers full of nectar appear. It is not to be confused with bee balm (which is genus ''Monarda''). The white flowers attract bees, hence the genus name ''Melissa'' (Greek for 'honey bee'). Its flavour comes from citronellal (24%), geranial (16%), linalyl acetate (12%) and caryophyllene (12%). ==Cultivation== ''M. officinalis'' is native to Europe, central Asia and Iran, but is now naturalized around the world.〔Herb Society of America. 2007 (Lemon Balm: An Herb Society of America Guide )〕〔United States Department of Agriculture, "PLANTS Profile for Melissa officinalis," http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=MEOF2. Retrieved July 2, 2010.〕 Lemon balm seeds require light and at least 20°C (70°F) to germinate. Lemon balm grows in clumps and spreads vegetatively, as well as by seed. In mild temperate zones, the stems of the plant die off at the start of the winter, but shoot up again in spring. Lemon balm grows vigorously and should not be planted where it will spread into other plantings. ''M. officinalis'' may be the "honey-leaf" (μελισσόφυλλον) mentioned by Theophrastus.〔Theophrastus, ''Enquiry into Plants'', VI.1.4, identified as "M. officinalis" in the index of the Loeb Classical Library edition by Arthur F. Hort, 1916 etc.〕 It was in the herbal garden of John Gerard, 1596.〔As "Melissa" (Common Blam) in both issues of Gerard's ''Catalogus'', 1596, 1599: Benjamin Daydon Jackson, ''A catalogue of plants cultivated in the garden of John Gerard, in the years 1596-1599'', 1876;〕 The many cultivars of ''M. officinalis'' include: * ''M. officinalis'' 'Citronella' * ''M. officinalis'' 'Lemonella' * ''M. officinalis'' 'Quedlinburger' * ''M. officinalis'' 'Lime' * ''M. officinalis'' ‘Variegata’ * ''M. officinalis'' ‘Aurea’ (''M. officinalis'' ‘Quedlinburger Niederliegende’ is an improved variety bred for high essential oil content.) 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Melissa officinalis」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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