PLANTS FURNISHING MEDICINAL LEAVES AND HERBS. 29 
The oil, which is obtained by distillation with water from the fresh or partially dried 
leaves and flowering tops, is also officialin the United States Pharmacopeeia. While 
a less acreage was devoted to peppermint during 1910, conditions were favorable to 
its growth, and the crop is estimated to have amounted to about 200,000 pounds. The 
wholesale quotations for 
peppermint oil in the 
spring of 1911 ranged from 
$2.85 to $2.95 a pound. 
SPEARMINT. 
Mentha spicata L. 
Pharmacopeial name.— 
Mentha viridis. 
Synonym.— Mentha viri- 
dis L. 
Other common names.— 
_ Mint, brown mint, garden 
mint, lamb mint, mackerel 
mint, Our Lady’s mint, 
sage of Bethlehem. 
Habitat andrange.—Like 
peppermint, the spear- 
mint has also been natu- 
ralized from Europe and 
may be found in moist 
fields and waste places 
from Nova Scotia to Utah 
and south to Florida. It 
is also cultivated to some 
extent for the distillation 
of the oil and is a familiar 
plant in gardens for do- 
mestic use. 
Description.—Spearmint 
very much resembles pep- 
permint. It does not grow perhaps quite so tall, the lance-shaped leaves are gener- 
ally stemless or at least with very short stems, and the flowering spikes are narrow 
and pointed instead of thick and blunt. (Fig. 21.) The flowering period is the 
same as for peppermint—from July to September. 
Collection, prices, and uses.—The dried leaves and flowering tops are official in the 
United States Pharmacopceia and should be collected before the flowers are fully de- 
veloped. The price at present is about 3} cents a pound. 
Spearmint is used for similar purposes as peppermint, although its action is milder. 
The odor and taste closely resemble those of peppermint, but a difference may be 
detected, the flavor of spearmint being by some regarded as more agreeable. Oil of 
spearmint is also official in the United States Pharmacopeeia. It is obtained from the 
fresh or partially dried leaves and flowering tops. 
219 
Fig. 21.—Spearmint (Mentha spicata), leaves, flowers, and running 
rootstock. 
