1004 MENTHA 



tin pipe immersed in tanks of cold water, or more fre- 

 quently arran^eil in perpendicular tiers over which cold 

 water iiMi-, .( 'mhI. r 1 1- funii^li steam and a receiver or 

 tin cMii ■ 1 ii : II >; I iiM 111, ill wliich the oil separates by 



or Bl;.i-I. M ■! I • 1/ 

 produn i . 



and c; i "A ii.:. yn ' . '■■ 

 rita, viii 



der for lirMlil,-ili|i. -i,l;r, 



confectionery, very exT< 

 for the production of i 

 pipmenthol. Pipmentlii 

 perties fn.m iiienrhol il. 

 Japiuic- Mint. 1/. .,, 



lilt. 



Hondo ; in.i I.ihuvh n, iIh 

 introdiic-i'd .■\|,.-iiiii,-iit;ill 

 the United States, but ha 

 cially in these c 



was the origin 



ly on the island of 

 I state. It has been 

 lilt, in England and 

 been cult, commer- 

 inferior in qual- 



but 



the 



MENTHA 



Var. officin&liB, Sole. White Mint. Slender. 1-2 ft. 

 high: Ivs. 1-2 in. long: stems and foliage light-colored. 

 Not known in wild state; long cult, in Eng. and spar- 

 ingly introduced into cult, in America. 



Var. vulgaris, Sole. Black Mint. Rather stout, 2-3 

 ft. high: Ivs. 2-3Hin. long: steins usually purple and 

 foliage dark-colored. Native in England. Cult, in re- 

 cent years in England, Saxony and America. 

 CC. 7/!*s. ovate or suhcordafe . 

 citr4ta, Ehrh. Bergamot Mint. Perennial, by leafy 

 stolons, glabrous throughout: stem decumbent, 1-2 ft. 

 long, branched: Ivs. thin, broadly ovate and ob- 

 tuse or the uppermost lanceolate and acute: fls. in 

 the uppermost axils and in short, dense, terminal 

 spikes: calyx glabrous, with subulate teeth; co- 

 rolla glabrous. Sparingly naturalized from Eu- 

 ro|ic, in New York. New Jersey, Florida and Ohio. 

 -Tlie fragrant, lemon-scented oil is distilled for 

 use iu making perfumes. 



BB. Spikes slender, interrupted : Ivs. sessite 



or nearly so. 



c. Plant' glabrous: Ivs. lanceolate. 



spic^ta, Linn. (if. riridis, Linn.). Spearmint. 



Fig. 1392. Perennial, by leafy stolons: stem erect, 



with ascending branches 1-2 ft. high: Ivs. lanceo- 



duction of which 



gated by rootstocks caret'ull> i niii-i'hin 

 tivated by hand -labor. Two (ro|,s, ran-l 

 obtained in a season, and l,»y alKuidaii 

 and intensive culture large yields are 

 is usually continued thj-ee years from o 

 and then a rotation of other crops foil' 

 three to six years. Three horticultui 

 are recognized, being distinguished chiefly by 

 form of leaf and color of stem. The va- 

 riety known as "Akakuki," with reddish 

 purple stem and broad, obtuse leaves, is 

 regarded as best. 



Spearmint is cultivated on peppermint 

 farms for the production of oil. The 

 plants are propagated and cultivated 

 similar to prpprrniint and distilled in 

 the saiii'- still., Tlio oil, for wlii.-h there 

 is a siiMJi.r .lini.iiHl ili.iii lor pepper- 

 mint oil, i- u-eii iliirilx 111 iiie.lieine and 

 to some exteut as a llavoriug ingred- 

 ient in drinks. Spearmint is cultivated 

 in the vicinity of many large cities to 

 supply saloons, where freshly cut sprigs 

 of the plant are used in making the se- 

 ductive and intoxicating drink known as 

 "Mint julep." The plant is more widely 

 known as an ingredient in "Mint sauce," 

 the familiar accompaniment of spring 

 lamb and green peas. To supply this de- 

 mand it is often cultivated in the 

 kitchen -garden. It is easily propa- 

 gated by the perennial root-stocks, and 

 persists year after year with little care, thriving i 

 nearly all kinds of soil, providing it does not becom 

 too dry. 



The Pennyroyal of the Old World is Mentha Pulecjium 



CC. Plant pubescent: 



rotundiSaiia, Huds. 



nial, by leafy stolons. 



elliptic or ovate-oblong. 

 :r)-T.FAVEn Mint. Peren- 

 -eijt tlirouirbout, sonie- 



1392. Me 



the 



A. Wliorls of fls. in terminal spikes or some 

 upper uxi7s. 

 B. Spikes thick : Ivs. petioled. 

 c. Zrvs. lanceolate, acute. 



piperita, Linn. Peppermint. Perennial, by 

 and rootstocks : stems erect or ascending, 1-3 ft. high, 

 branched, glabrous: Ivs. lanceolate, acute, sharply ser- 

 rate, 1-3 in. long, glabrous or pubesi'ent on tlie veins be- 

 neath, punctate, with minute oil l:]ooi]1,~: il - in tlii K, 

 terminal spikes, 1-3 in. long in fi 

 finally exceeded by the lateral on. 



low, its sharp teeth usually cilnn.; r i,,im |ii;i|.i, 

 rarely white, glabrous. Introduced jii euluvaLiuii liom 

 England and occasionally naturalized iu moist ground 

 in various parts of the country. Known as "American 

 Mint" or "State Mint" in New York. 



a-.n.,i,lin^.. -,i,i|,l,. or l.nuK-lied, 20-30 

 in. liit:li : Iv,. siiJM-ordate at base, 

 mostly ol>tuse. crenate-serrate, 1-2 

 in. long and about two-thirds as wide, 

 reticulated beneath: fls. in dense or 

 interrupted spikes 2-4 in. long; calyx 

 pubescent; corolla pubenilent. Nat- 

 uralized in moist waste places from 

 Maine to New Mexico. — Sometimes 

 used as a substitute for peppermint 

 or spearmint. 



AA. Wlwrls of fls. all axillary. 



n. Plants usually decumbent: fls. 



nearly sessile. 



Canadensis, Linn. American Wild 



Mint. l"erennial, by runners and 



rootstocks: stem usually pubescent, 



with spreading hairs, erect or ascen- 



ing, simple or branched, 6-.30 in. 



jicata— Spearmint. high : Ivs. ovate-oblong or lanceolate, 



:'a) glabrous or nearly so, 2-3 in. long, 



slender-petioled, the petioles often 



exceeding the nearly sessile whorls of light ptirj'le fls. : 



calyx pubescent. In wet soil or in wnter nf tin- niiir- 



gins of streams. New Brunswick to loiti-li ( olmnbia 



and southward to Virginia and New .^li\i,o. It is a 



common plant. — Often called peppeniiinr. for whicli it 



is frequently mistaken and for which it is sometimes 



used as a substitiiTe. It is variable in habit and also in 



B. Plants somcuhat rigidly erect: fls. distinct 

 pedicetled. 

 piper&scens, Malinvaud. Japa 



arr^nsis, var. 



Mint. Perennial, by running rootstocks, pnbemlent or 



tin. Iv yiiil.cscrnt tlirniii-hnuf : stems erect, with numer- 



' ■ o.i r - ■' : " !|i_^ii: Ivs. lanceolate and acute to 



riis,-. narrowed at the base, 



I ' . : , ,: ; : -rrrate, with low teeth: fls. in 



i:,i|jor liMo,, :,i,|h,r\ ssljorls, in distinctly pedicellate 

 umbels, usually shorter than the slender petioles; calyx 

 pubescent, its subulate teeth about half as long as the 

 tube; corolla pubenilent. Lyster H. Dewey. 



