Completely Study【Coleus amboinicus | Cuban Oregano】PART 1 - From zero to hero - Know about this commonly praising tropical herb

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綠意生活 Green Life info ★ 實用生活資訊 Update: 2021/11/21

Completely Study【Coleus amboinicus | Cuban Oregano】and get back the right hand from its name issue
PART 1 - What you should know about this herb
PART 2 - The compostion
PART 3 - features , properties , safety notice
PART 4 - traditional folk common uses
PART 5 - various DIY ideas

?? This article uses auto translate to English, so it’s not so fluent. We will make a correction soon. Thanks for your reading ??

Regarding the name of Coleus amboinicus, it means that as long as "any hand" touches its leaves, it will emit a fragrance. Tear the leaves into small pieces to stimulate the secretion of more essential oils, and the fragrance will be more obvious, making your hands full of nice aroma. I actually prefer the name "著手香 / zhuó shǒuxiāng"(meaning: hand incense) , which is more in line with its energetic, positive, and dynamic characteristics, and it just happens to be similar pronunciation to the commonly Chinese nickname "左手香/ zuǒ shǒuxiāng" ( meaning: "left" hand incense ) that many people are used to, and it can be corrected back.

"左手香/ zuǒ shǒuxiāng" is actually a misunderstanding. Just don't know who made the typo. "Left-hand incense" is actually a wrong way to say it. It is easy for people to misunderstand what this plant has to do with the left hand. If you want to write directly according to the Taiwanese pronunciation, ㄆㄤ is written as "芳 / fang" (meaning: aromatic) .

Reference:Taiwanese teacher Ni Junzhe explains the correct pronunciation of Coleus amboinicus in Taiwanese
a good website for practicing Taiwanese pronunciation→ 芳貢貢 phang-kòng-kòng
Taiwanese official name of Coleus amboinicus - according to Ministry of Education Hokkien Dictionary： 到ㄉㄜˋ 手ㄑ一ㄨ  芳ㄆㄤ tò-tshiú-phang）

The research on Coleus amboinicus can be regarded as an unexpected big project, because I am very new to it. I only found out after making handmade soap. I wonder how so many people love hand fragrance and how easy it is to use XD. I once asked a regular customer if she finds it easy to use? She replied that if you make left-hand incense soap, I will definitely buy it. What an interesting answer! At that time, I thought that one day I would really study Coleus amboinicus.

After a long period of epidemic prevention, I am finally about to come to Study Coleus amboinicus. After a few months, I feel that this is a bottomless pit. You can dig and dig all the time. There are endless information because it is incredible and powerful. Plants have been widely used all over the world since ancient times, but they are confusing, with a little dangerous lover's mysterious and unknown nature, which makes people love and fear harm.Just like the character of a Scorpio, when he stings you, he still loves you, it is just his natural nature.So the strong one can only have a drink. If you love it, you must first understand it, so that Coleus amboinicus will not cause trouble and help.

It is because Coleus amboinicus seems a bit dangerous, but many people like to use it. This has become the motivation for me to work hard to study clearly. I hope that readers will not confuse or accidentally use the wrong plant, or use or consume excessively or improperly. And hurt the body. Coleus amboinicus has many pharmacological effects, and as of now (2021), the safety of the human body is also very unclear. Although many people eat it and use it, there are cases of poisoning or contact allergies reported in Taiwan and the United States. It is NOT recommended to try folk remedies, especially for people with chronic diseases, prone to allergies, and weak physique.

到手香在生活中還有很多妙用之處，像是肌膚美容保養（敏感/痘痘/熟齡預防老化）、頭髮身體香氛、增添活力營養的美食香料調味料理、防蚊蟲止癢、煮泡茶放鬆助眠、居家香氛環境衛生、綠化空間淨化空氣、草本香氣口罩、野外登山露營很方便攜帶的多用途備用品、其它創意生活用品DIY。還有疫情期間，它的抗菌保健特性正好也是很有幫助的，太強了吧XD！快來好好認識一下到手香吧 😊

A cross-border plant legend - a classic in the ordinary - Coleus amboinicus

Coleus amboinicus is a standard "Chai Market Noodle", it looks inconspicuous and ordinary, like a vegetable and like a useless wild plant, but its life is a colorful and remarkable amateur legend! Just like the movie "Modern King", the male protagonist is ordinary in real life, and after wearing a mask, he actually stimulates the inner life and vigorous side.Coleus amboinicus has an easy-going and amiable side, you can use it any way you want, but it is also very powerful with its stunts, and it is not a problem to use it as you want.

It has a wide range of uses, such as medicine, catering, beauty care, fragrance, gardening, home life... It can be applied to, and it is easy to grow and cultivate, and it can be regarded as a very practical and economically valuable cross-border plant material.

Many of the English common names of Coleus amboinicus are the names of other plants, or metaphorical titles. Why is that? That's strange! Maybe this point can be explained by the concept of "mask" (the movie name The Mask – From Zero to Hero). Coleus amboinicus is very diverse, just like wearing different masks, which have different effects. In different countries and regions, it exists according to local needs. In short, Coleus amboinicus is as interesting as the modern king. It will not make you bored, but will also keep you enthusiastic and energetic. (Watch the video ●→ Cuban Pete song , it’s super vivid, it’s simply the "dance of hand incense", hahaha)

Coleus amboinicus PROFILE

• Chinese name：到手香 dào shǒuxiāng
• Taiwanese name：到手芳 tò-tshiú-phang
• Latin Name:：Coleus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng.
• Synonym：Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng.
  同種異名：Coleus aromaticus Benth.
• Chinese Alias：(misinformed) 左手香 zuǒ shǒuxiāng。著手香 zuǒ shǒuxiāng、Big leaf mint herb 大葉薄荷草（Hakka people）、過手香 guò shǒuxiāng、倒手香 dǎo shǒuxiāng
• 英文外文名： Indian Borage. Cuban Oregano.Mexican mint
  Country Borage、 Soup Mint、 Indian mint、
  Spanish thyme、French thyme、African thyme 、
  All-Purpose herb、Five Seasons Herb、Mother of Herbs、
  False Oregano, Oregano brujo (Puerto Rico / Means witch's oregano)
  Oregano de Cartagena、Oregano de Espana、 Oregano Frances
  Torbangun / bangun-bangun / tarbangun ( Indonesia Batak )
  Karpuravalli(Indian Tamil Tamil / meaning camphor camphor),
  Ajwain plant / Ajwain leaves / Carom plant (India / means Tibetan fennel plant / Tibetan fennel leaf),
  Doddapatre / Pathar choor / Navara / Panikoora / Pan-Ova / Omavalli （India）
• indigenous people in Taiwan：Tanavili ma-ansum tu ismud (Bunon) / Haka ( Sakizaya ) /
  Maangnoawana ( Yami ) / Cuun iiri ( Tsou ) / Takulikulis ( Puyuma )
• Plant family and genus：唇形科 Lamiaceae (family) / 鞘蕊花屬 Coleus (genus)
• Main composition：酚類化合物phenols 【Thymol (百里酚 / 瑞香草酚)．Carvacrol（香芹酚）】、
  有機酸phenolic Acids、類黃酮flavonoids、萜烯類化合物terpenoids
• feature properties：pungent taste / cold property herb / can cool blood. Obvious fragrance, the main ingredients and fragrance of essential oils are very similar to Oregon
• [Traditional common use] Cooling blood to relieve fever. Increased lactation and confinement maintenance for pregnant women. Cold sore throat and fever. Reduce swelling. Sleep aid. Insect bites relieve itching. Seasoning with ingredients and spices. Textile cleaning. Body cleansing fragrance
• [Modern life use] Biotechnology drug research and development (antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antipruritic). Mosquito control. gardening. Air purification. Space personal fragrance. Essential oil incense. Aromatherapy. Beauty salons. Camping and mountaineering (multi-purpose). Food (seasoning and spice/nutrition)
• Note： If the plants are not cleaned, there will be mold and bacteria attached. For external use, do not touch the eyes, drip into the ear canal or apply to the wound. Skin sensitivity test. Don't eat too much.
  ●→ Taiwan's pharmaceutical experts don't recommended for consumption. So it's Not listed in Eatable Plants for food use by the Ministry of Health and Welfare(761 species / 2021)
  ●→ Taiwan Agriculture Department * lists it as a fragrant herb plant, with detailed descriptions of various uses.
• Fragrance characteristics：The first middle note is obviously strong, and it is very similar to the elegant and unique aromas of marjoram and Oregon. It also has a green and astringent scent of lemon verbena, not sweet and not greasy, fresh and energetic grass leaf fragrance.
  It has the effect of balancing and adjusting the temperature perception, keeping the body temperature at 26℃ dry and comfortable. It can be used in all seasons, especially suitable for summer use.

The birthplace of Coleus amboinicus & close relatives

The earliest documentary record of Coleus amboinicus was in 1790 by the Dutch botanist Loureiro's Flora cochinchinensis. It was discovered on the Indonesian island of Amboina, which is rich in spices, so the Latin scientific name is also named after Amboina. .

It's Latin name is Plectranthus or Coleus? Coleus Coleus is the Greek word koleos, meaning "sheath". The stamens of the flower are combined into a sheath. Most of the plants in this genus are colorful, easy to grow, and multifunctional. They have been planted everywhere since the 19th century. In 1962, the botanist Morton merged the genus Coleus into the genus Plectranthus. In 2019, Paton and several scholars reorganized the Coleus genus Coleus according to the molecular evidence of plants, and moved 294 species of Plectranthus plants into the Coleus genus. Coleus amboinicus is one of them. Plectranthus is currently reduced to 72 species, all of which are native to Africa and Madagascar.

It is also a native plant in Africa, India, the Philippines, Fiji, and Cuba. It is very good to grow. It can grow roots in two or three days in water. It is relatively cold-resistant and suitable for growing in warm and hot places.

Coleus amboinicus is an exotic plant species in Taiwan. It was introduced to China during the Ming Dynasty. Not only did it have many Chinese aliases, but English aliases are more exaggerated. Every country has customary names, and many of them are named after other plants, plus close relatives. There are many varieties, and some aliases are the same, or look a bit similar, so it is easy to confuse.

The following are the scientific names of plants and species related to hand incense after a lot of effort to search for comparison and verification, mainly based on the International Plant Information Platform (IPNI.GBIF）、Wikipedia．.Plant of Taiwan．.TaiBNET-Catalogue of Life in Taiwan．.Taiwan Agriculture Department ）all those are credible information sources. Among the eight related plants, only fringe and yellow spot and Shouxiang are the same species (cultivars). They are all Shouxiang. However, since the research on essential oils of medicines and foods generally uses the original plants for research, the cultivated varieties are not very different. It is clear whether the ingredients of the plants are the same, and should be mainly for ornamental purposes.

Coleus forskohlii ( Forskolin / 木本到手香 /大本到手香) looks very similar to hand scented, but the leaves are thin, the hairs on the leaves are relatively soft, the flower is dark purple, and the hand scented flower is light pink purple . There are a large number of biotech companies on the market planting and producing them as nutritional products (Forskohlii).

Small leaf zuǒ shǒuxiāng and hadiensis var. tomentosus are both called "Vicks plant" in many foreign countries. The fragrance is very similar to the vaporub universal ointment of Vicks, a century-old medicinal product brand in the United States. They are all succulent ornamental plants, which are different varieties from Hand Fragrant. The scent of Pablo Fragrant is very similar to Hand Fragrant, and it also has a touch of fresh lime fruit fragrance. hadiensis var. tomentosus is also known as "flannel fragrant tea dish" in China, and some research data on its ingredients have been found. The ingredients are similar to but not exactly the same as those of Coleus amboinicus. It is also a plant that can be used in many ways.

Oregon/oregano/wild marjoram are also in the Lamiaceae family. The plant fragrance and essential oil content are similar, and the two can be used instead of each other.

Patchouli - and - rugosa are traditional Chinese medicine plant, appearance, flavor is completely different, the role of incense and hand are not the same, say the alternative is a bit far-fetched. However, many people confuse the name. The information from the Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare also specifically indicated that the alias of patchouli is ●→「dǎo shǒuchūn」, and the character for patchouli （霍）does not have a cursive prefix「 艸 (grass)」, the character of rugosa（藿） has「 艸 (grass)」part . Maybe they're trying to let people know they're different plants.
Coleus amboinicus will be confused with these two plants, I think it is very likely that someone deliberately pierced the association in order to quote ancient pharmacopoeias.

在印度有很多人稱它為印度藏茴香植物（藏茴香葉）Ajwain plant /Carom plant / Ajwain leaves，因為到手香葉片和印度藏茴香種籽的精油都含有 camphor，不只香味聞起來很像，吃起來口味也很像。（🤔 OS: 這個別稱最誇張，直接用別種植物的名字，可能是賣菜或盆栽店小販故意的？😆）

Many people in Western countries call it Cuban Oregon, French Thyme, and Spanish Thyme, because the essential oils are also rich in thymols and carvacrol, with similar fragrances and functions, and can be used interchangeably.

It looks a bit like borage, so some people call it Indian borage. It is also a big mint. It is also Lamiaceae. The "family" of the plant is family, and the Lamiaceae is also commonly known as mint family. The mint family, so it is also called Indian mint and Mexican mint. Lamiaceae is a family of plants that must be known to learn aromatherapy. Most of them are very commonly used essential oil vanilla plants, with scented opposing leaves, such as lavender, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, sage, and cow The knee grasses are all Labiatae.

Coleus amboinicus * the application* all over the world

Coleus amboinicus is widely cultivated and used in countries in warm tropical regions, especially in India, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Australia and South America where natural herbal remedies are highly regarded. Coleus amboinicus is a common garden plant in many people’s homes and can be used to prepare food at any time. , Or deal with various physical conditions.

In Indonesia since ancient times, it has been a traditional remedy plant that takes care of postpartum women in an all-round way. It can be regarded as a unilateral food supplement for confinement and increased lactation, so it is also called "Mother of herbs".

Coleus amboinicus contains plant sterols, phytic acid, flavonoids, lutein, carotene, minerals (iron, zinc), which can add points to health and food, so there are also such as Indian Borage, Country Borage, Soup Mint. Another name for vegetable seasonings, it is very suitable for making sauces and adding a small amount to make various herbs.

Indian vegetable and fruit sweet and sour sauce, chutney, bread with cream and hand-made bay leaves; Sofrito (Spanish tomato sauce) from Puerto Rico and other Caribbean countries; Cuban cuisine black bean soup ; Vietnamese sweet and sour soup, crispy fried leaf (Deep Fried Fritters/ Indian Mint Fritters)...

All of the above have been added Coleus amboinicus. All-Purpose herb, Five Seasons Herb and other aliases indicate that it is a versatile plant for daily use.

AUTHOR: Jessie / 桂花白文 ( NAHA/IFA aromatherapist )

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Completely Study【Coleus amboinicus | Cuban Oregano】and get back the right hand from its name issue
PART 1 - What you should know about this herb
PART 2 - The compostion
PART 3 - features , properties , safety notice
PART 4 - traditional folk common uses
PART 5 - various DIY ideas

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