marjoram is an important culinary herb; but there are many marjorams, and their classification and nomenclature can be confusing. Part of the problem is that Origanum is the generic name for the principal plants which are called marjoram; but oregano, oreganum, and similar names are applied in an unsystematic way to some (only) of these plants and to many others which have in common a single characteristic, namely exhibiting an oregano flavour. A further aspect of this whole complex of problems is that in N. America the name marjoram is largely replaced by oregano.
