203 MENTHA PIPERITA 



guislied as var. officinalis (M. piperita, Huds.), with narrower 

 leaves and more elongated spikes, and var. j3. vulgaris (M. 

 piperita, Hull) with broader leaves more rounded at the base, and 

 with spikes more blunt and close; but many specimens are 

 intermediate in character, as was the case in the one figured. It 

 is probably correct to regard the plant as a cultivated race of the 

 common water mint, M. hirsuta, Linn., with which var. /3 is 

 indeed connected by numerous intermediate forms. 



Habitat. It is doubtful whether M. piperita is anywhere known 

 truly wild, but it is recorded from watery places in many parts of 

 England and Scotland, extending as far north as Forfarshire and 

 Inverness-shire, flowering in August and September. It is diffi- 

 cult to trace its distribution out of England ; but it occurs in many 

 parts of Europe, Asia and North America, under similar conditions 

 to those under which it exists in this country. It is extensively 

 cultivated for medicinal use at Mitcham, Surrey, and in Lincoln, 

 Cambridge and Herts (Hitchin). At the first-named place two 

 kinds are recognised, and we are indebted to Dr. Piesse, of New 

 Bond Street, for specimens of the " black " and " white " mints of 

 the Mitcham fields. The former is a much coarser plant than the 

 latter, and is more tinged with purple ; it also flowers somewhat 

 later, and the oil it affords, though more abundant, is less valued ; 

 there are no botanical characters to separate the plants. Pepper- 

 mint is also grown on a large scale in America, and in France, 

 Germany and Southern India. 



Sm., E. FL, iii, p. 76; Baker in Journ. Bot., 1865, p. 240; Syme, 

 E. Bot., vii, p. 9 ; Watson, Comp. Cyb. Br., p. 268 ; Hook, f., 

 Stud. PL, p. 279; Benth. in DC., 1. c., p. 169; Lindl. PI. Med., 

 p. 487. 



Official Parts and Names. OLEUM MENTHA PIPERITA. The oil 

 distilled in Britain from fresh flowering peppermint (B. P.) 

 The oil (Oleum Menthce piperita), obtained by distillation from 

 the fresh herb when in flower (I. P.) MENTHA PIPERITA. The 

 leaves and tops (U. S. P.) 



General Characters and Composition. The botanical characters 

 of the herb have been described above. Peppermint is more 

 pungent than any of the other mints. The herb both in a fresh 



