Where are the main centers of distribution for the mint family?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

The primary center of distribution for the Lamiaceae (mint family) is the Old World, spanning from the Canary Islands to the Himalayas.1

Lesser centers of distribution include:
* Ethiopia, Madagascar, and southern Africa1
* India and Sri Lanka1
* Various oceanic regions to the east1

In the New World, the family is distributed from the mountains of central Mexico southward into Argentina and Chile, with secondary centers radiating toward the north and east.1