Family of 3,000–4,000 species of flowering plants found worldwide. The stems are often quadrangular in sections, with leaves arranged in opposite pairs at right angles to the next pair. The plants are often covered with hairs and glands that emit an aromatic fragrance. Species include basil, marjoram, oregano, peppermint, salvia, and thyme.
Plants of this family have long been used by the food and pharmaceutical industries. They have a natural resistance to insects and in the 1990s were being exploited for the protection of other plants.

The mints: aromatic herbs and shrubs having flowers resembling the lips of a mouth and four-lobed ovaries yielding four one-seeded nutlets and including thyme; sage; rosemary; Also called: family Labiatae, Lamiaceae, mint family.