Lippia abyssinica
| Koseret | |
|---|---|
| Lippia abyssinica isotype specimen | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Verbenaceae |
| Genus: | Lippia |
| Species: | L. abyssinica |
| Binomial name | |
| Lippia abyssinica | |
| Synonyms | |
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List
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Lippia abyssinica, or koseret (Amharic: ኮሰረት, romanized: koserēt), is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. It is endemic to Ethiopia but cultivated throughout tropical African countries. The specific epithet abyssinica derives from Latin and means 'of or from Ethiopia (Abyssinia)'.
The plant grows as a 3m tall shrubby herb at 1600–2000 m altitude in Ethiopia. It has hairy leaves and small flowers that are purple or pink.
Other common names include kosearut, lemon herb, butter clarifying herb, Gambey tea bush, and Gambia(n) tea bush, although the latter can also apply to Lippia multiflora. Besides the word koseret, in Amharic it is also called kesse or kessie. In Gurage it can be called koseret (Amharic: ኮሰሬት, romanized: koserēti), kesenet (Amharic: ክስንት, romanized: kisiniti), or quereret. Said in Tigrinya it is kusay. Kasey, kusaye, or kusaayee are the terms in the Oromo language. In French it is called verveine d’Afrique (literally 'African verbena'), Brégué Balenté, or Mousso et mâle. German speakers call it Gambia-Teestrauch (Gambia tea shrub). In Sierra Leone it is named a-kimbo and in the Congo it is called ngadi or dutmutzuri.