PLANTS FURNISHING MEDICINAL LEAVES AND HERBS. 



29 



The oil, which is obtainod })y distillation with waf<'r from the fresh or partially dried 

 leaves and Howerin<^ tops, is also oliicial in the L'nittul States Pharmacoixria. While 

 a less acreage was devoted to peppermint dunn<? 1910, conditions were favorable to 

 its growth, and the crop is estimated to have amounted to about 200,000 pounds. The 

 wholesale quotations for 

 peppermint oil in the 

 spring of 1911 ranged from 

 $2.85 to $2.95 a jxmnd. 



SPEARMINT. 



Mentha spicata L. 



PharmacopaidJ luimc- 

 Mentha viridis. 



Synonym. — Mentha viri- 

 dis L . 



Other common namcs.- 

 Mint, brown mint, garden 

 mint, lamb mint, mackerel 

 mint, Our Lady's mint, 

 sage of Bethlehem. 



Habitat and range. — Like 

 peppermint, the spear- 

 mint has also been natu- 

 ralized from Europe and 

 may be found in moist 

 fields and waste places 

 from Nova Scotia to Utah 

 and south to PTorida. It 

 is also cultivated to some 

 extent for the distillation 

 of the oil and is a familiar 

 plant in gardens for do- 

 mestic use. 



Description . — Spearmint 

 very much resembles pep- 

 permint. It does not grow perhaps quite so tall, the lance-shaped leaves are gener- 

 ally stemless or at least with very short stems, and the flowering spikes are narrow 

 and pointed instead of thick and blunt. (Fig. 21.) The flowering period is the 

 same as for peppermint — from July to September. 



Collection, prices, and uses. — The dried leaves and flowering tops are official in the 

 United States Pharmacopoeia and should be collected before the flowers are fully de- 

 veloped. The price at present is about 3j cents a pound. 



Spearmint is used for similar purposes as ])eppermint, although its action is milder. 

 The odor and taste closely resemble those of peppermint, but a difference may be 

 detected, the flavor of spearmint being by some regarded as more agreeable. Oil of 

 spearmint is also official in the United States Pharmacopoeia. It is obtained from the 

 fresh or partially dried leaves and flowering tops. 

 219 



Fig. ■_'!.— .SpearmiiU ( Mintha spicata), leaves, (lowers, and iMiining 



rootstock. 



