parent_taxon satureja
Egypt (; ', , " Kimi "), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt , is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia by a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula . Egypt is a Mediterranean country bordered by the ___MASK49___ Strip and Israel to the northeast , the Gulf of Aqaba to the east , the Red Sea to the east and south , Sudan to the south , and Libya to the west . Across the Gulf of Aqaba lies Jordan , and across from the Sinai Peninsula lies Saudi Arabia , although Jordan and Saudi Arabia do not share a land border with Egypt . It is the world ' s only contiguous Afrasian nation . Binomial nomenclature ( also called binominal nomenclature or binary nomenclature ) is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts , both of which use Latin grammatical forms , although they can be based on words from other languages . Such a name is called a binomial name ( which may be shortened to just " binomial "), a binomen or a scientific name ; more informally it is also called a Latin name . The first part of the name identifies the genus to which the species belongs ; the second part identifies the species within the genus . For example , humans belong to the genus " ___MASK99___ " and within this genus to the species " ___MASK99___ sapiens ". The " formal " introduction of this system of naming species is credited to Carl Linnaeus , effectively beginning with his work " Species Plantarum " in 1753 . But Gaspard Bauhin , in as early as 1623 , had introduced in his book " Pinax theatri botanici " ( English , " Illustrated exposition of plants ") many names of genera that were later adopted by Linnaeus . A flower , sometimes known as a bloom or blossom , is the reproductive structure found in plants that are floral ( plants of the division ___MASK25___ , also called angiosperms ). The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction , usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs . Flowers may facilitate outcrossing ( fusion of sperm and eggs from different individuals in a population ) or allow selfing ( fusion of sperm and egg from the same flower ). Some flowers produce diaspores without fertilization ( parthenocarpy ). Flowers contain sporangia and are the site where gametophytes develop . Many flowers have evolved to be attractive to animals , so as to cause them to be vectors for the transfer of pollen . After fertilization , the ovary of the flower develops into fruit containing seeds . Europe is a continent that comprises the westernmost part of Eurasia . Europe is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north , the Atlantic Ocean to the west , and the Mediterranean Sea to the south . To the east and southeast , Europe is generally considered as separated from Asia by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains , the Ural River , the Caspian and Black Seas , and the waterways of the Turkish Straits . Yet the non - oceanic borders of Europe  a concept dating back to classical antiquity  are arbitrary . The primarily physiographic term " continent " as applied to Europe also incorporates cultural and political elements whose discontinuities are not always reflected by the continent ' s current overland boundaries . ___MASK65___ affinis , commonly called crosne , Chinese artichoke , Japanese artichoke , knotroot , and artichoke betony , is a perennial herbaceous ___MASK4___ of the family ___MASK84___ , originating from China . Its rhizome can be grown and eaten as a root vegetable . ___MASK24___ is of the mint family , ___MASK84___ . Though known to several cultures by different names , the disparate varieties are now classified under the single species " ___MASK24___ frutescens ". The plant overall resembles the stinging nettle , though the leaves are somewhat rounder . ___MASK72___ edulis , the Ethiopian potato , known as " Welayta dinich " in Amharic , is a species of annual ___MASK4___ in the ___MASK84___ family . It is indigenous to Ethiopia , where it is grown for its edible tubers . The tubers are cooked before they are eaten . Asia is Earth ' s largest and most populous continent , located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres and sharing the continental landmass of Eurasia with the continent of Europe . Asia covers an ___MASK62___ of , about 30 % of Earth ' s total land ___MASK62___ and 8 . 7 % of the Earth ' s total surface ___MASK62___ . The continent , which has long been home to the majority of the human population , was the site of many of the first civilizations . Asia is notable for not only its overall large size and population , but also dense and large settlements as well as vast barely populated regions within the continent of 4 . 4 billion people . Central Asia or Middle Asia is the core region of the Asian continent and stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to China in the east and from Afghanistan in the south to Russia in the north . It is also colloquially referred to as " the ' stans " ( as the six countries generally considered to be within the region all have names ending with the Persian suffix "- stan ", meaning " land of ") and is within the scope of the wider Eurasian continent . In botany , an evergreen is a ___MASK4___ that has leaves throughout the year , always green . This contrasts with deciduous plants , which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season . There are many different kinds of evergreen plants , both trees and shrubs . Evergreens include : The Sahara (", ' the Greatest Desert ') is the largest hot desert and the third largest desert in the world after Antarctica and the Arctic . Its ___MASK62___ of is comparable to the ___MASK62___ of the United States . Libya ("") is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa , bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north , Egypt to the east , Sudan to the southeast , Chad and Niger to the south , and Algeria and Tunisia to the west . The three traditional parts of the country are Tripolitania , Fezzan and Cyrenaica . With an ___MASK62___ of almost , Libya is the fourth largest country in Africa , and is the 16th largest country in the world . Libya has the 10th - largest proven oil reserves of any country in the world . The Maghreb ( or ; literally " sunset "; ', " the Arab West " previously known as Barbary Coast , derived from Berber ), or the Greater Maghreb (" al - Maghrib al - Kabr "), is usually defined as much or most of the region of western North Africa or Northwest Africa , west of Egypt . The traditional definition as the region including the Atlas Mountains and the coastal plains of Morocco , Algeria , Tunisia , and Libya , was later superseded , especially following the 1989 formation of the Arab Maghreb Union (    ), by the inclusion of Mauritania and of the disputed territory of Western Sahara ( mostly controlled by Morocco ). During the Al - Andalus era in Spain ( 711  1492 ), the Maghreb ' s inhabitants , Maghrebis , were known as " Moors "; the Muslim ___MASK69___ of Spain in those times were usually included in contemporary definitions of the Maghreb  hence the use of " Moorish " or " Moors " to describe the Muslim inhabitants of Spain in Western sources . The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed inland body of water on Earth by ___MASK62___ , variously classed as the world ' s largest lake or a full - fledged sea . It is in an endorheic basin ( it has no outflows ) located between Europe and Asia . It is bound by Kazakhstan to the northeast , Russia to the northwest , Azerbaijan to the west , Iran to the south , and Turkmenistan to the southeast . The flowering plants ( ___MASK2___ ), also known as ___MASK9___ or ___MASK25___ , are the most diverse group of land plants , with 416 families , approx . 13 , 164 known genera and a total of c . 295 , 383 known species . Like gymnosperms , ___MASK2___ are seed - producing plants ; they are distinguished from gymnosperms by characteristics including flowers , endosperm within the seeds , and the production of fruits that contain the seeds . Etymologically , angiosperm means a plant that produces seeds within an enclosure , in other words , a fruiting plant . The term " angiosperm " comes from the Greek composite word (" angeion ", " case " or " casing ", and " sperma ", " seed ") meaning " enclosed seeds ", after the enclosed condition of the seeds . Teak ( ___MASK37___ grandis ) is a tropical hardwood tree species placed in the flowering ___MASK4___ family ___MASK84___ . " ___MASK37___ grandis " is a large , deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests . It has small , fragrant white flowers and large papery leaves that are often hairy on the lower surface . It is sometimes known as the " Burmese teak ". Teak wood has a leather - like smell when it is freshly milled . It is particularly valued for its durability and water resistance , and is used for boat building , exterior construction , veneer , furniture , carving , turnings , and other small wood projects . " ___MASK37___ grandis " is native to south and southeast Asia , mainly India , Sri Lanka , Indonesia , Malaysia , Thailand , Myanmar and Bangladesh but is naturalised and cultivated in many countries in Africa and the Caribbean . Myanmar ' s teak forests account for nearly half of the world ' s naturally occurring teak . Molecular studies show that there are two centres of genetic origin of teak ; one in India and the other in Myanmar and Laos . " CP teak " (" Central Province " teak ) is a description of teak from the central states of India . " Nagpur teak " is another regional Indian teak . It produces small , white flowers arranged in dense clusters ( panicles ) at the end of the branches . Flowers contain both types of reproductive organs ( perfect flowers ) Western Sahara ("") is a disputed territory in the Maghreb region of North Africa , bordered by Morocco to the north , Algeria to the northeast , Mauritania to the east and south , and the Atlantic Ocean to the west . Its surface ___MASK62___ amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world , mainly consisting of desert flatlands . The population is estimated at just over 500 , 000 , of which nearly 40 % live in Laayoune , the largest city in Western Sahara . The United Nations ( UN ) is an intergovernmental organization to promote international co - operation . A replacement for the ineffective League of Nations , the organization was established on 24 October 1945 after World War II in order to prevent another such conflict . At its founding , the UN had 51 member states ; there are now 193 . The headquarters of the United Nations is in Manhattan , New York City , and experiences extraterritoriality . Further main offices are situated in Geneva , Nairobi , and Vienna . The organization is financed by assessed and voluntary contributions from its member states . Its objectives include maintaining international peace and security , promoting ___MASK82___ rights , fostering social and economic development , protecting the environment , and providing humanitarian aid in cases of famine , natural disaster , and armed conflict . Thyme is an evergreen herb with culinary , medicinal , and ornamental uses . The most common variety is " ___MASK83___ vulgaris ". Thyme is of the genus " ___MASK83___ " of the mint family ( ___MASK84___ ), and a relative of the oregano genus " Origanum ". The Middle East is a transcontinental region centered on Western Asia and Egypt . The corresponding adjective is " Middle - Eastern " and the derived noun is " Middle - Easterner ". The term has come into wider usage as a replacement of the term Near East ( as opposed to Far East ) beginning in the early 20th century . The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world ' s oceans with a total ___MASK62___ of about . It covers approximately 20 percent of the Earth ' s surface and about 29 percent of its water surface ___MASK62___ . It separates the " Old World " from the " New World ". ___MASK72___ esculentus , with English common names kaffir potato , and Livingstone potato , is a species of ___MASK4___ in the dicot family ___MASK84___ . It is indigenous to Africa , where it is grown for its edible tubers . It is more difficult to cultivate than " ___MASK72___ rotundifolius ", but able to give greater yields . Although the crop is similar to a potato it is from the mint family but it is still quite nutritious and useful . This crop can benefit many subsistence farmers since it is native , easy to grow , growing popularity in the market and quite nutritious . ___MASK83___ vulgaris ( common thyme , German thyme , garden thyme or just thyme ) is a species of flowering ___MASK4___ in the mint family ___MASK84___ , native to southern Europe from the western Mediterranean to southern Italy . Growing to tall by wide , it is a bushy , woody - based evergreen subshrub with small , highly aromatic , grey - green leaves and clusters of purple or pink flowers in early summer . Oregano ( or , scientific name " ___MASK64___ vulgare ", is a flowering plant in the mint family ( ___MASK84___ ). It is native to temperate western and southwestern Eurasia and the Mediterranean region . ___MASK72___ , with some 350 species , is a genus of warm - climate plants occurring largely in the southern hemisphere , in sub - Saharan Africa , Madagascar , India and the Indonesian archipelago down to Australia and some Pacific Islands . They are closely related to " ___MASK81___ " and are known as the spurflowers . Several species are grown as ornamental plants , as leaf vegetables , as root vegetables for their edible tubers , or as medicine . Africa is the world ' s second - largest and second - most - populous continent . At about 30 . 3 million km² ( 11 . 7 million square miles ) including adjacent islands , it covers 6 % of Earth ' s total surface ___MASK62___ and 20 . 4 % of its total land ___MASK62___ . With 1 . 1 billion people as of 2013 , it accounts for about 15 % of the world ' s human population . The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north , both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast , the Indian Ocean to the southeast , and the Atlantic Ocean to the west . The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos . It contains 54 fully recognized sovereign states ( countries ), nine territories and two " de facto " independent states with limited or no recognition . Russia ( from the  Rus '), also officially known as the Russian Federation , is a country in Eurasia . At , Russia is the largest country in the world by surface ___MASK62___ , covering more than one - eighth of the Earth ' s inhabited land ___MASK62___ , and the ninth most populous , with over 140 million people at the end of March 2016 . The European western part of the country is much more populated and urbanised than the eastern , about 77 % of the population live in European Russia . Russia ' s capital Moscow is one of the largest cities in the world , other major urban centers include Saint Petersburg , Novosibirsk , Yekaterinburg , Nizhny Novgorod and Samara . ___MASK12___ hispanica , commonly known as chia , is a species of flowering ___MASK4___ in the mint family , ___MASK84___ , native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala . The sixteenth - century " Codex Mendoza " provides evidence that it was cultivated by the Aztec in pre - Columbian times and economic historians say it may have been as important as maize as a food crop . It was given as an annual tribute by the people to the rulers in 21 of the 38 Aztec provincial states . ___MASK12___ is the largest genus of plants in the mint family , ___MASK84___ , with nearly 1000 species of shrubs , herbaceous perennials , and annuals . Within the ___MASK84___ , " ___MASK12___ " is part of the tribe Mentheae within the subfamily ___MASK10___ . It is one of several genera commonly referred to as sage . In botany , a tree is a perennial ___MASK4___ with an elongated stem , or trunk , supporting branches and leaves in most species . In some usages , the definition of a tree may be narrower , including only woody plants with secondary growth , plants that are usable as lumber or plants above a specified height . Trees are not a taxonomic group but include a variety of ___MASK4___ species that have independently evolved a woody trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants to compete for sunlight . In looser senses , the taller palms , the tree ___MASK73___ , bananas and bamboos are also trees . Trees tend to be long - lived , some reaching several thousand years old . The tallest known tree , a coast redwood named Hyperion , stands high . Trees have been in existence for 370 million years . It is estimated that there are just over 3 trillion mature trees in the world . A genus ( genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms in biology . In the hierarchy of biological classification , genus comes above species and below family . In binomial nomenclature , the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus . North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of Africa . The United Nations definition of " North Africa " includes seven countries and territories ; Algeria , Egypt , Libya , Mauritania , Morocco , Sudan , Tunisia , and Western Sahara . The countries of Algeria , Morocco , Tunisia , and Libya are often collectively referred to as the Maghreb , which is the Arabic word for " sunset ". Egypt lies to the northeast and encompasses part of West Asia , while Sudan is situated on the edge of the Sahel , to the south of Egypt . Marjoram (" ___MASK64___ majorana ", syn . " Majorana hortensis " Moench , " Majorana majorana " ( L .) H . Karst ) is a somewhat cold - sensitive perennial herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavors . In some Middle Eastern countries , marjoram is synonymous with oregano , and there the names sweet marjoram and knotted marjoram are used to distinguish it from other plants of the genus " ___MASK64___ ". It is also called pot marjoram , although this name is also used for other cultivated species of " ___MASK64___ ". Tunisia ('; ), officially the Republic of Tunisia (') is the northernmost country in Africa , covering . Its northernmost point , Cape ___MASK47___ , is the northernmost point on the African continent . It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest , Libya to the southeast , and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east . Tunisia ' s population was estimated to be just under 11 million in 2014 . Tunisia ' s name is derived from its capital city , Tunis , which is located on Tunisia ' s northeast coast . China , officially the People ' s Republic of China ( PRC ), is a unitary sovereign state in East Asia . With a population of over 1 . 381 billion , it is the world ' s most populous country . The state is governed by the Communist Party of China , and its capital is Beijing . It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces , five autonomous regions , four direct - controlled municipalities ( Beijing , Tianjin , Shanghai , and Chongqing ), and two mostly self - governing special administrative regions ( Hong Kong and Macau ), and claims sovereignty over Taiwan . The country ' s major urban ___MASK69___ include Shanghai , Guangzhou , Beijing , Chongqing , Shenzhen , Tianjin and Hong Kong . China is a great power and a major regional power within Asia , and has been characterized as a potential superpower . Satureja is a genus of aromatic plants of the family ___MASK84___ , related to rosemary and thyme . It is native to North Africa , southern + southeastern Europe , the Middle East , and Central Asia . A few New World species were formerly included in Satureja , but they have all been moved to other genera . Several species are cultivated as culinary herbs and they have become established in the wild in a few places . In biology , an organism is any contiguous living system , such as an ___MASK53___ , ___MASK4___ , fungus , archaeon , or bacterium . All known types of organisms are capable of some degree of response to stimuli , reproduction , growth and development and homeostasis . An organism consists of one or more cells ; when it has one cell it is known as a unicellular organism ; and when it has more than one it is known as a multicellular organism . Most unicellular organisms are of microscopic scale and are thus loosely described as microorganisms . Humans are multicellular organisms composed of many trillions of cells grouped into specialized tissues and organs . Origanumis a genus of herbaceous perennials and subshrubs in the family ___MASK84___ , native to Europe , North Africa , and much of temperate Asia , where they are found in open or mountainous habitats . A few species also naturalized in scattered locations in North America and other regions . A vine ( Latin " vnea " " grapevine ", " vineyard ", from " vnum " " wine ") in the narrowest sense is the grapevine (" ___MASK26___ "), but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or ( that is , climbing ) stems or runners . The word also can refer to such stems or runners themselves , for instance when used in wicker work . ___MASK72___ rotundifolius or ___MASK81___ rotundifolius , commonly known as " native " or " country potato " in Africa and called " Chinese potato " in India is a perennial herbaceous ___MASK4___ of the mint family ( ___MASK84___ ) native to tropical Africa . It is cultivated for its edible tubers primarily in West Africa , as well as more recently in parts of Asia , especially India , Sri Lanka , Malaysia , and Indonesia . Art is a diverse range of ___MASK82___ activities in creating visual , auditory or performing artifacts ( artworks ), expressing the author ' s imaginative or technical skill , intended to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power . In their most general form these activities include the production of works of art , the criticism of art , the study of the history of art , and the aesthetic dissemination of art . A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth . Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria , up to seven regions are commonly regarded as continents . Ordered from largest in size to smallest , they are : Asia , Africa , North America , South America , Antarctica , Europe , and Australia . In geology , ___MASK69___ of continental crust include regions covered with water . Algeria (' " Dzayer "), officially the People ' s Democratic Republic of Algeria , is a sovereign state in North Africa on the Mediterranean coast . Its capital and most populous city is Algiers , located in the country ' s far north . With an ___MASK62___ of , Algeria is the tenth - largest country in the world , and the largest in Africa . Algeria is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia , to the east by Libya , to the west by Morocco , to the southwest by the Western Saharan territory , Mauritania , and Mali , to the southeast by Niger , and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea . The country is a semi - presidential republic consisting of 48 provinces and 1 , 541 communes ( counties ). Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been President since 1999 . A shrub or bush is a small to medium - sized woody ___MASK4___ . It is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height , usually under 6 m ( 20 ft ) tall . Plants of many species may grow either into shrubs or trees , depending on their growing conditions . Small , low shrubs , generally less than 2 m ( 6 . 6 ft ) tall , such as lavender , periwinkle and most small garden varieties of roses , are often termed subshrubs . In general use , herbs are any plants used for food , flavoring , medicine , or fragrances for their savory or aromatic properties . Culinary use typically distinguishes herbs from spices . " Herbs " refer to the leafy green or flowering parts of a ___MASK4___ ( either fresh or dried ), while " spices " are produced from other parts of the ___MASK4___ ( usually dried ), including seeds , berries , bark , roots and fruits . In geography , regions are ___MASK69___ that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography ), human impact characteristics ( human geography ), and the interaction of humanity and the environment ( environmental geography ). Geographic regions and sub - regions are mostly described by their imprecisely defined , and sometimes transitory boundaries , except in human geography , where jurisdiction ___MASK69___ such as national borders are defined in law . ___MASK65___ is one of the largest genera in the flowering ___MASK4___ family ___MASK84___ . Estimates of the number of species in the genus vary from about 300 , to about 450 . The type species for the genus is " ___MASK65___ sylvatica ". " ___MASK65___ " is in the subfamily Lamioideae . Generic limits and relationships in this subfamily are poorly known . Rosmarinus officinalis , commonly known as rosemary , is a woody , perennial herb with fragrant , evergreen , needle - like leaves and white , pink , purple , or blue flowers , native to the Mediterranean region . ___MASK84___ ( or ) or Labiatae is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or deadnettle family . Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs , such as basil , mint , rosemary , sage , savory , marjoram , oregano , hyssop , thyme , lavender , and perilla . Some species are shrubs , trees ( such as teak ), or , rarely , vines . Many members of the family are widely cultivated , not only for their aromatic qualities but also their ease of cultivation , since they are readily propagated by stem cuttings . Besides those grown for their edible leaves , some are grown for decorative foliage , such as " Coleus ". Others are grown for seed , such as " Salvia hispanica " ( chia ), or for their edible tubers , such as " Plectranthus edulis ", " Plectranthus esculentus ", " Plectranthus rotundifolius ", and " Stachys affinis " ( Chinese artichoke ). The Black Sea is a body of water between Eastern Europe and Western Asia , bounded by ___MASK55___ , Georgia , Romania , Russia , Turkey , and Ukraine . It is supplied by a number of major rivers , such as the Danube , Dnieper , Rioni , Southern Bug , and Dniester . The Black Sea has an ___MASK62___ of ( not including the Sea of Azov ), a maximum depth of , and a volume of . It is constrained by the Pontic Mountains to the south and by the Caucasus Mountains to the east , and features a wide shelf to the northwest . The longest east - west extent is about .