MINT FAMILY. Labiatas. 



The genus Mentha is a tribe of odorous perennial herbs 

 with httle tubular flowers mostly in close clusters ; the 

 plant-stems square. Almost all the species are natural- 

 ized from Europe, and there are many hybrids. Name 

 from MivQr/ (of Theophrastus), a Nymph. The mints are 

 commonly fertilized by the order Biptera (the flies), and 

 particularly by the genera Syrpliidce and Bombylidce. 



u »/.. -L Flowers in rather crowded, slender, 



Horse Mint ' ' 



Mentha leafless spikes, sometimes disconnected. 



syh-estris Leaves ovate-oblong and ovate lance- 



Pale purple shaped, almost stemless, sharp-pointed 

 July- ugus ^^^^ sharply tootlied, often smooth above, 

 but the whole plant generally finely white-haired. Plant- 

 stem square. 18 inches high. Roadsides and field- 

 borders. Pa. and N. J. The var. alopecuroides with 

 larger leaves, stemless, broadly oval and obtuse, often 

 approaching heart-shape, coarsely toothed and more 

 veiny. Southern N. Y., Pa., and N. J., west to Mo. 



Flowers variable in depth of color ; clus- 

 Speartnint ^qj.^ crowded like those of the preced- 



Mentha viridis . • i . ■ n i 



p J J mg species, but especialh" narrow and 



July-August pointed. Plant-stem green, square, and 

 nearly smooth. Leaves oblong or ovate 

 lance-shaped, unevenly toothed and stemless or verj^ 

 nearly so. 12-20 inches high or more. Wet places and 

 roadsides in cultivated ground, everywhere. 

 p rmint Flowers in narrow, loose, disconnected, 



Mentha leafless, terminal spikes, and often on a 



piperita rather long stem proceeding from between 



Pale purple ^\^q plant-stem and leaf-stem. Leaves 

 u y- ugus long-ovate, deep green, smooth, and regu- 

 larly toothed, slightly rough beneath, and very hot- 

 tasting. Plant-stem purplish, 18-36 inches high. Along 

 brooks and in cultivated ground everywhere. 



„, ^ ... The flowers in a roundish or nearly 



Water Mint , , . , , „ , , 



Mentha oblong terminal cluster ; frequently there 



aqnatira are ouc or more clusters between the 



Pale purple plant-stem and the upper leaf -stems. 

 August- Leaves ovate or round-ovate. The plant 



is characterized by downy hairs (rarely it 

 is smoothish) which generally point dowmcard. Wet 



392 



