DR AMERICAN MEDICINAL LEAVES AND ‘HERBS. 
PEPPERMINT. 
Mentha piperita L. 
Pharmacopeial name.—Mentha piperita. 
Other common names.—American mint, brandy mint, lamb mint, lammint, State 
mint (in New York). 
Habitat and range.—Peppermint is naturalized from Europe and is found in damp 
places from Nova Scotia to Minnesota and south to Florida and Tennessee. It is 
largely cultivated, princi- 
pally in Michigan and 
New York, where the dis- 
tillation of the plants for 
the oil is carried on com- 
mercially on a very ex- 
tensive scale, and also in 
parts of Indiana, lowa, 
and Wisconsin. 
Description.—P ep per- 
mint propagates by means 
of its long, running roots, 
trom which are produced 
smooth, square stems, from 
1 to 3 feet in height, erect 
and branching. The 
dark-green leaves are 
borne on stalks and are 
‘ lance shaped, 1 to 2 inches 
in length and about half 
as wide, pointed at the 
apex and rounded or nar- 
rowed at the base, with 
margins sharply toothed; 
they are. smooth on both 
sides, or sometimes the 
veins on the lower surface 
are hairy. 
This aromatic perennial 
of the mint family (Men- 
thaceze) is in flower from 
July to September, the 
small purplish blossoms 
havinga tubular, 5-toothed 
calyx and a 4-lobed corolla. They are placed in circles around the stem, forming 
thick, blunt, terminal spikes. (Fig. 20.) 
Collection, prices, and uses.—The dried leaves and flowering tops are the parts di- 
rected to be used by the United States Pharmacopeia. These must be collected as 
soon as the flowers begin to open and should be carefully dried in the shade. Dried 
peppermint leaves and tops bring about 34 to 44 cents a pound. 
The pungent odor of peppermint is familiar, as is likewise the agreeable taste, burn. 
ing at first and followed by a feeling of coolness in the mouth. It is a well-known 
remedy for stomach and intestinal troubles. 
219 
Fic. 20.—Peppermint (Mentha piperita), leaves and flowers. 
