1924] Farwell,—Correct Name for the Spearmint A 
Mentha Cam. epit. 477. 
Mentha III, IV. Dod. pempt. 95. 
Mentha aquatica spicata, foliis oblongis viridibus serratis 
acuminatis. Gron. virg. 167. 
Habitat in Germania, Anglia, Gallia. 2/. 
Affinis nimium M. sylvestri, sed minor & glabra. 
rotundifolia. 3. MENTHA spicis oblongis foliis subrotundis 
rugosis crenatis sessilibus. Huds. angl. 221. 
Mentha sylvestris, rotundiore folio. Bauh. pin. 227. 
Menthastrum, folio rugoso rotundiore, spontaneum, flore 
spicato odore gravi. Bauh. hist. 3. p. 219. 
Habitat in Angliae aquosis. Y. 
A careful analysis and comparison of Linnaeus's treatment of this 
group of species in the two editions of the Species Plantarum will 
show (1) that the description of M. sylvestris is the description of the 
var. longifolia, enlarged and modified; (2) that the description of 
M. viridis is the description of the var. viridis enlarged and modified; 
(3) that M. sylvestris is a plant with white tomentose leaves and that 
M. viridis is a plant with green and glabrous leaves; (4) that of the 
eight citations under M. sylvestris six are from the var. longifolia and 
one from M. spicata the other being extraneous; (5) that of the seven 
citations under M. viridis 5 are from var. viridis (none from M. 
spicata), the others being extraneous. The only conclusion to be 
deduced from a consideration of the above is that M. spicata formed a 
part of M. sylvestris and not at all of M. viridis. 
M. spicata was founded on Hort. ups. 168 [sp. no. 2] which is as 
follows: 
2. MENTHA floribus spicatis, foliis oblongis serratis. 
a. Mentha spicis confertis, foliis serratis sessilibus. 
Hort. cliff. 306. 
Mentha sylvestris, folio longiore. Bauh. pin. 227. 
B. Mentha [ete. which is M. viridis]. 
Haec q folis est subtus villosis & tomentosis 
Excluding var. 8. which is var. viridis, the above citations prove 
that M. spicata founded thereon, is identical with M. sylvestris the 
species with white or tomentose leaves. 
'The 2nd synonym under M. spicata evidently represents a plant 
with tomentose leaves and therefore can not, together with the 
binomial, be relegated to M. viridis, a plant with glabrous leaves. 
