Originally a perennial plant from South America with 2-4 cm large, lanceolate leaves and small white flowers. Now also cultivated as a pot plant. The special feature is the pronounced sweetening power of the leaves, up to 45 times sweeter than sucrose when dried, see also under Stevia.
A distinction must be made between stevia herb and stevia extract. The herb is not approved as a foodstuff in the EU, the leaves may be used as tea, the extract is approved as sweetener E 960.