298 BLUE AND PURPLE 



1. WILD MINT: 



Mentha arvensis var. canadensis. 

 Mint Family. July — Sept. 



Found in wet places. New Brunswick to Cali- 

 fornia. 

 Flowers — Purplish to white, tiny in whorls at the 



angles of the leaves. 

 Leaves — Tapering from the center toward each 

 end, toothed, hairy throughout, aro- 

 matic odor like pennyroyal. Plant 

 stems branching, 10-24 inches high. 



2. SPEARMINT: Garden or Mackerel Mint. 



Mentha spicata. 

 Mint Family. * July — Sept. 



Found in wet places. Eastern half of United 

 States and Canada. Naturalized from Eu- 

 rope. 

 Flowers — Purplish, variable in depth of color, in 

 narrow, acute, usually interrupted ter- 

 minal spikes. 

 Leaves — Aromatic, opposite, narrowly oblong, 

 acute, sharply toothed, stemless or 

 short-stemmed. 



3. PEPPERMINT: M. piperita. 

 Flowers purplish, in dense or interrupted, 

 blunt, terminal spikes. Leaves egg-shaped, 

 smooth, toothed, acute, very pungent tasting. 

 Plant stem purplish, 18-36 inches high. 

 Naturalized from Europe. 



