1004 



MENTHA 



MENTHA 



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

 quently arranged in perpendicular tiers over which cohl 

 water runs, a boiler to furnis;h steam and a receiver or 

 tin can with compartments in which the oil separates by 

 gravity. The yield of oil varies from 10 to 60 pounds 

 per acre, averaging about 25 pounds for Black Mint, the 

 variety now generally grown. Three kinds of pepper- 

 mint are recognized : (1) American Mint, "State Mint" 

 of New York {i)f. plperltn), long cultivated in this 

 country and occasionally naturalized ; (2) Black j\lint, 

 or Black Mitcham ( M. pipertfo , var. vitlnarls), a more 

 productive variety introduced from England about 1889, 

 and (3) White Mint, or Wliitc^ Mitcham {M. pipe- 

 rita, var. officinalis), less productive and too ten- ^ 

 der for profitable cultivation, Imt yielding a very ^ 

 superior graiip of oil. Peppermint oil is used in <^ 

 coTifpctinnery, very extensively in medicines, and ^^^ 

 for tlie ijroduction of menthol, or more propeidy 1'^^. 

 pipnienthol. Pipmenthol differs in physical pro- t^^ 

 perties from menthol derived from Japanese Mint. t^ij3^ 



Japanese Mint, Af. arvensis, v\xr. piperasce)if>, is 'iJ-'W^ 



€ult. in northern Japan, chietly on the island of v^rXjj. 

 Hondo ; not known in the wild state. It has been '^^^jpp' 

 introduced experimentally in cult, in England and 

 the Unitfil states, but has not Iteen cult, commer- 

 ciallv in these countries. Its oil is inferior in equal- 

 ity to that of Mentha piperita, but it contains a 

 higher percentage of cryst;illizalile mnnthol, of 

 which it was the original soun-i- and for the pro- 

 duction of which it is largely used. It is propa- 

 gated by rootstocks carefully transplanted and cul- 

 tivated by hand-labor. Two crops, rarely three, are 

 obtained in a season, and by abundant fertilizing 

 and intensive culture large yields are obtained. It 

 is usually continued th-ree years from one planting, 

 and then a rotation of other crops follow for from 

 three to six years. Three horticnltural varieties 

 are reco<j:nized, being distinguished chiefly by 

 form of leaf and color of stem. The va- 

 riety known as ''Akakuki," with reddish 

 purple stem and bruad, tibtuse lea\'es, is 

 regarded as liest. 



Spearmint is cultivated on peppermint 

 farms for tlie production of oil. The 

 plants are propagated and cultivated 

 similar to peppermint and distilled in 

 the same stills. The oil, for which there 

 is a smaller demand tjjan for pepper- 

 mint oil, is used chiefly in medicine and 

 to some extent as a flavoring ingred- 

 ient in drinks. Spearmint is cultivated 

 in the vicinity of nuiny 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 

 kn<:>wn as an int^rediont in "Mint sauce," 

 the familiar acconipaniment ot spring 

 lamb and greeTi peas. To supply this de- 

 mand it is often cultivated in the 

 kitchen - i^arden. It is easily propa- (> 



^^■ltell liy \\\c perennial root-stocks, and 

 pi-rsi^ts year after year with little care, thriving in 

 nearly all kinds of soil, providing it does not become 

 too dry. 



The Pennyroyal of the Old World is Mentha Piilegium. 



A. Wltorls of fj<i. in frmiinal spil-c.^^ or s<^inr in the 



upper axil.s. 



B. Spil:e.'^ ihiel- : li-x. pctiolerl . 



C. ir.v. laiiri-iiJaiCj acute. 



piperita, Linn. Peppkkmint. Perennial, by runners 

 ami ront.sto(d<s: stems erect or ascending, 1-3 ft. high, 

 branched, glabrous: ivs. lanceolate, acute, shai^jlj' ser- 

 rate, ]-;i in. I(»ng. glabrous or i)uljescent on the veins be- 

 neath, punctate, with minute oil ghdmles: fls. in thick, 

 terminal spikes, 1-IJ in. long' in fruit, the central spike 

 finally exceeded by the lateral ones; calyx glabrous be- 

 low, its sharp teeth usually ciliate; corolla purple, 

 rarely whif.e, glabrous, liitnaluced in cultivation from 

 England and occasionally mituralized in moist gi'ound 

 in various parts of the country. Known as "American 

 Mint" or "State Mint" in New York. 



Var. officinalis, 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 Eiig. and spar- 

 ingly introduced into cult, in America. 



Var. vulg-^ris. Sole. Black Mint. Rather stout, 2-3 

 ft. high: Ivs. 2-3K in. long: stems usually purple and 

 foliage dark-colored. Native in England. (Jult. in re- 

 cent years in England, Saxony and America. 



cc. Lvs. ovate or suhcordate. 

 citr^ta,' Ehrh. Beroamot Mint. Perennial, by leafy 



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

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

 tuse or the uppermost lanceolate and acute: tls. in 

 the uppermost axils and in short, dense, terminal 

 spikes; calyx glabrous, with subulate teeth; co- 

 rolla glabrous. Sparingly naturalized from Eu- 



^ rope, in New York, New Jersey, Florida and Ohio. 



f —The fragrant, lemon-scented oil is distilled for 



use in making perfumes. 



BB. SpiJces slenclcr, interrupted : Ivs. sessile 



or }ieartij so. 



C. Plant (jhibroas: Ivs. lanceolate. 



spicata, Linn, f J/, viridis, Linn.). Spearmint. 

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

 with ascending bi*anches 1-2 ft. high: Ivs. lanceo- 

 late, sharply serrate, 2/^ in. or less in length: 

 whorls of tls. in narrow, interrupted spikes 2-4 in. 

 long, the central spike exceeding the lateral ones; 

 calyx teeth hirsute or glabrate. Widely naturalized 

 about old gardens thro\ighout the older settled por- 

 tions of the United States; native in Europe and 

 Asia. 



cc. Plant puheseent: Ivs. elliptic or ovatc-ohlong. 

 Totundif61ia, Huds. Round-leaved Mint. Peren- 

 nial, by leafy stolons, pubescent throughout, some- 

 what viscid: stems slender, erect or 

 ascending, simple or branched, 20-30 

 in. high : lvs. suhcordate at base, 

 mostly obtuse, crenate-serrate, 1-2 

 in. longand abouttwo-thirds as wide, 

 reticulated beneath: Us. in dense or 

 interrupted spikes 2-4 in. long; calyx 

 pubescent; corolla puberulent. Nat- 

 uralized in moist waste places from 

 Maine to New ]\Iexico. — Sometimes 

 used as a substitute for peppermint 

 or spearmint. 



aa. Mliorls of fls. all axillarij. 

 B. Plants ysnalhj demnnhent: fls. 

 ■iicarlij sessile. 

 Canadensis, Linn. American Wild 

 Mint. Perennial, by runners and 

 rootstocks: stem usually pubescent, 

 with spreading hairs, erect or ascen- 

 ing, simple or branched, 6-30 in. 

 high : Ivs. ovate-oblong or lanceolate, 

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



slender-petioled, the petioles often 

 exceeding the nearly sessile whorls of light puryde fls.: 

 calyx pubescent. In wet soil or in water at the mar- 

 gins of streams, New Brunswick to British Columbia 

 and southward to ^'irginia and New Mexico. It is a 

 common plant. — Often called peppermint, for which it 

 is frecjuently mistaken and for ivhich it is sometimes 

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

 the character of its oil. 



BB. Plants sonie\rhat riijidhj erect: fls. distincthf 

 jH'di'evllcd. 



arv6nsls, var. piperdscens, Malinvaud. Japanese 

 jMint. Perennial, by running rootstocks, puberulent or 

 flnely pubescent throughout: stems erect, with numer- 

 ous branches, 2-3 ft. high: lvs. lanceolate and acute to 

 broadly oblong and obtuse, narrowed at the base, 

 IK-3V2 in. long, sharply serrate, with low teeth: fls. in 

 rather loose, axillary whorls, in distinctly pedicellate 

 umbels, usually shorter than the slender petioles; calyx 

 pubescent, its subulate teeth about half as long as the 

 tube; corolla pul)erulent. Lvster H. Dewey. 



1392. Mentha spicata— Spearmint 



