Taxon: Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton

Summary

Genus:

Perilla

Family:

Lamiaceae (alt. Labiatae)

Subfamily:

Nepetoideae

Tribe:

Elsholtzieae

Nomen number:

27364

Place of publication:

Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 5:277. 1894

Protologue link:

https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31876217

Verified:

12/17/1991 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

73 (21 active, 19 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. crispa (Thunb.) W. Deane (1 active accession[s])
Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. frutescens (3 active accession[s])
Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. hirtella (Nakai) Makino (0 active accession[s])
Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. purpurascens (Hayata) H. W. Li (2 active accession[s])

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Dentidia nankinensis Lour.
Perilla arguta Benth.
Perilla nankinensis (Lour.) Decne.
Perilla ocymoides L.
Perilla ocymoides L. var. ocymoides

Images (2 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Campbell, F. T., ed. 1995. Report of National Coalition of Exotic Plant Pest Councils (unpublished draft)
Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae.
Chowdhery, H. J. & B. M. Wadhwa. 1984. Flora of Himachal Pradesh.
Conant, P. et al. 1997. Appendix. Selected plant species interfering with resource management goals in North American natural areas. In: Luken, J. O. & J. W. Thieret, eds., Assessment and management of plant invasions. 255-267.
Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986-1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols.
Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Kartesz, J. T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. Note: with two varieties
Kellerman, T. S. et al. 1988. Plant poisonings and mycotoxicoses of livestock in Southern Africa
Lawrence, B. M. 1992. Chemical components of Labiatae oils and their exploitation. In: Harley, R. M. & T. Reynolds, eds., Advances in labiate science 400.
Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Maikhuri, R. K. et al. 1991. Lesser-known crops of food value in Garhwal Himalaya and a strategy to conserve them. Pl. Genet. Resources Newslett. 86:33-36.
Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Mun-Chan, B. et al. 1986. A checklist of the Korean cultivated plants. Kulturpflanze 34:114-115.
Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
Ohwi, J. 1965. Flora of Japan (Engl. ed.).
Park, Y.-Y. et al. 2008. Evaluation of genetic diversity and relationships within an on-farm collection of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. using microsatellite markers. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 55:523-535.
Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Steenis, C. G. G. J. van, ed. 1948-. Flora malesiana.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2018. Mid-Atlantic invasive plant species (on-line resource)

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	beefsteak-mint	1	Conant, P. et al. 1997. Appendix. Selected plant species interfering with resource management goals in North American natural areas. In: Luken, J. O. & J. W. Thieret, eds., Assessment and management of plant invasions. 255-267.
English	beefsteakplant	1	Craker, L. E. & J. E. Simon, eds. 1986-1987. Herbs, spices, and medicinal plants, 2 vols.
English	perilla	1	Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
French	périlla	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
German	Schwarznessel	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
German	Shiso	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedish	bladmynta	2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transcribed Chinese	zi su	2	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Fujian Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guangdong Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guizhou Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hebei Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hubei Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Jiangsu Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Jiangxi Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Shanxi Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Sichuan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Xizang Zizhiqu		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Yunnan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Zhejiang Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Honshu		Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Kyushu		Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Shikoku		Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Korea			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Taiwan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Bhutan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India		n.	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Nepal			Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Pakistan			Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Cambodia			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Laos			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Myanmar
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Thailand
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Vietnam			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2	Cultivated					in Asia	Park, Y.-Y. et al. 2008. Evaluation of genetic diversity and relationships within an on-farm collection of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. using microsatellite markers. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 55:523-535.
4	Naturalized					widely natzd.
6	Other					exact native range obscure

Native
Asia-Temperate

CHINA: China [Fujian Sheng, Guangdong Sheng, Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu, Guizhou Sheng, Hebei Sheng, Hubei Sheng, Jiangsu Sheng, Jiangxi Sheng, Shanxi Sheng, Sichuan Sheng, Xizang Zizhiqu, Yunnan Sheng, Zhejiang Sheng]
EASTERN ASIA: Korea, Japan [Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku], Taiwan

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Bhutan, India (n.), Nepal, Pakistan
INDO-CHINA: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam

Cultivated (in Asia)
Naturalized (widely natzd.)
Other (exact native range obscure)

Reference(s)

Hara, H. et al. 1978-1982. An enumeration of the flowering plants of Nepal.
Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan.
Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
Park, Y.-Y. et al. 2008. Evaluation of genetic diversity and relationships within an on-farm collection of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. using microsatellite markers. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 55:523-535.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Food additives	flavoring		Maikhuri, R. K. et al. 1991. Lesser-known crops of food value in Garhwal Himalaya and a strategy to conserve them. Pl. Genet. Resources Newslett. 86:33-36.
Food additives	flavoring		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Materials	lipids	source of perilla oil	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Medicines	folklore		McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Medicines	folklore		Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Vertebrate poisons	mammals		Kellerman, T. S. et al. 1988. Plant poisonings and mycotoxicoses of livestock in Southern Africa
Weed	seed contaminant	potential	Campbell, F. T., ed. 1995. Report of National Coalition of Exotic Plant Pest Councils (unpublished draft)

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=27364. Accessed 12 May 2026.