What is "perilla"

Perilla \Pe*ril"la\, n. [Etymol. uncertain.] (Bot.) A genus of labiate herbs, of which one species ( Perilla ocimoides, or Perilla Nankinensis) is often cultivated for its purple or variegated foliage.

n. The plant shiso

Perilla is a herb of the mint family, Lamiaceae. Though known to several cultures by different names, the disparate varieties are now classified under the single species Perilla frutescens. The plant overall resembles the stinging nettle, though the leaves are somewhat rounder.

Perilla is a genus consisting of one major Asiatic crop species P. frutescens and a few recognized wild species in nature, belonging to the mint family, Lamiaceae.

Until a few decades ago , the oilseed crop for Perilla oil, from India, China and all across Eastern Asia was regarded as a species (P. ocymoides) in its own right, distinct from the "beefsteak plant" known for its red-leafed ornamental variety, although it was well established that these types readily cross-pollinate. Recent genetic research confirm they are of a common gene pool, corroborating the taxonomists' claim for consolidating the two crops into one species.

These past legacies and subsequent reclassification of taxa has led to a confusion of nomenclature.

The red or purple leafed variety had been dubbed P. nankinensis, and this label was used throughout the 19th century in the West when it was introduced as an ornamental. (See under #English common names).

Whether green-leafed or red-leafed, the perillaldehyde factor that characterizes the unique shiso fragrance may turn out to be present or absent in the individual or population, and this is not differentiable from outward appearance alone. Chemical studies classify the genus into different chemotypes, depending on the essential oils they contain.

There are three wild species endemic to Japan, recognized as being genetically distinct from the cultivated species. But some references treat, e.g., P. citrodora as the same species as the cultivated one

Perilla may refer to any of the following subjects:

• Perilla (plant) - a genus of plants of the mint family
• Perilla frutescens - the singlemost important species in the genus that includes shiso, "wild sesame" and essentially all cultivated varieties.
• perilla or "perilla mint" - An English common name for the plant. This article is a survey of the use of the herb or spice, across countries.
• Perilla - pet name of Caecilia Metella (daughter of Metellus Celer), given by her lover Ticida
• Perilla (restaurant) - a New York City based restaurant owned by Harold Dieterle
• Perilla - a spider genus with the sole species Perilla teres
• Perilla aldehyde - perillaldehyde, a flavoring
• Perilla de Castro - a municipality located in Spain
• Perilla ketone - a natural terpenoid
• Perilla Mountains - a mountain range in Cochise County, Arizona
• Perilla oil - oil from the seeds of plants of the genus Perilla
• Perilla sugar - perillartine, a sweetener