Lagochilus inebrians

Lagochilus inebrians, known in English as inebriating mint, intoxicating mint, or Turkistan mint, and in its native Uzbekistan by the Uzbek name Bozulbang, is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae. The genus name Lagochilus is derived from the Greek elements λαγός (lagos) "hare" and χείλος (ch(e)ilos) "lip" (in reference to the distinctive shape of the corolla), while the Latin specific name inebrians signifies "intoxicating" — in reference to the use of the plant (in its native Central Asia) to prepare a mildly intoxicating tea (see below).

Lagochilus inebrians is widely distributed in the Samarkand and Bukhara provinces of Uzbekistan. It is also found in some areas of Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. It grows on the piedmont plains and low foothills, dried up streams and rubbly slopes, on scree and gravel, and in dry grassy-sagebrush and grassland steppes.

Taxonomy

Lagochilus inebrians is a member of the family Lamiaceae, which contains many well-known culinary herbs such as mint, sage and oregano. Within the Lamiaceae, the genus Lagochilus belongs to tribe Leonureae (named for the genus Leonurus, the motherworts) which belongs, in turn, to subfamily Lamioideae (named for the deadnettle genus Lamium). The distribution of tribe Leonureae accords well with its circumscription, the six genera of which it is comprised being distributed primarily in Central Asia. In addition to the genus Lagochilus, the tribe contains the genera Chaiturus, Leonurus, Panzerina, Loxocalyx and Lagopsis. Of these, Leonurus contains a species, L. sibiricus, which, like Lagochilus inebrians is both medicinal and mildly psychoactive, being smoked occasionally as a Cannabis substitute.