Mentha

Scientific name

Mentha L.

Common names

water mint (M. aquatica), Hart's pennyroyal (M. cervina)

Family

Lamiaceae

Similar genera

Gratiola, Hypericum, Macbridea, Mimulus, Pogostemon, Veronica

Native distribution

temperatetemperate:
(adj) of the climatic zone between boreal and tropical
Eurasia

Species cultivated

Mentha aquatica L.

M. cervina L.

Adventive distribution

The commonly grown economically important mint species have a worldwide distribution.

Weed status

Mentha pulegium L. and other non-aquatic species are sometimes weedy.

Habit

erect or ascending, creeping stem plantstem plant:
(n) (a term used in the aquarium and pond plant trade) having an elongate stem (as opposed to a compact stem)

Brief description

Aromatic perennialperennial:
(adj) (of a plant) having a life cycle of more than two years
, stoloniferous or rhizomatousrhizomatous:
(adj) possessing rhizomes
. Stems creeping, erect or ascending. Leaves oppositeopposite:
(adj) (of leaves) two leaves per node; in pairs on opposite sides of an axis
; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
or serrateserrate:
(adj) (of a leaf margin) bearing sharp teeth pointing forward or to the apex
(some cultivars wavy). Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a terminalterminal:
(adj) at the apex
or axillaryaxillary:
(adj) in, of, or produced from an axil
spikespike:
(n) an indeterminate, unbranching inflorescence of sessile flowers or flower clusters on a usually elongated axis
or cluster. Sepals 5, subequal, fused below; petals fused below into a tube, lobes 4, equal, or adaxialadaxial:
(adj) pertaining to the side facing toward the axis, as in the upper surface of a leaf
lobe (lip) larger and emarginateemarginate:
(adj) with a shallow notch at apex
and the flower zygomorphiczygomorphic:
(adj) bilaterally symmetrical; symmetrical along only one plane
, pink or white. Dispersal vegetativevegetative:
(adj) (1) pertaining to or to the growth of plant organs or plant parts that have nonreproductive functions, such as leaves, roots, stems, etc.; (2) concering non sexual propagules such as tubers, turions, stem fragments, root crowns, rhizomes
and of fruit (nutletnutlet:
(n) a small nut
) sometimes by water.

Natural habitat

riparianriparian:
(adj) growing by rivers or streams; of, adjacent to, or living on, the banks of a river, lake, pond, etc.
, littorallittoral:
(adj) of or along the shore
zone, mostly in shallow areas; some species can tolerate extended inundation

Additional comments

Mentha is widely known for its culinary and other economic uses. The genus consists of 27 "pure" species, but more than 2000 botanical names cover many different growth forms and cultivars. Mentha aquatica is usually the name given to the plant(s) most commonly offered for sale or grown in the pond garden trade. In some cases, these plants may also be known by a hybridhybrid:
(n) a specimen produced by the sexual reproduction of two plants of different species or subspecies
and/or cultivar name.