Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
Jan.,  1883.  / 
The  Japanese  Peppermint  Plant. 
17 
Floras/^  is  a  species  differing  from  M.  arvensis  in  the  smaller  upper 
leaves  and  longer  calyx  teeth^  while  Dc  CandoUe  includes  it  under  M. 
arvensis.)  Professor  Baillon,  of  Paris,  expresses  the  opinion  that  it 
must  be  referred  to  M.  arvensis,  var.  Javanica,  unless  it  be  a  hybrid 
between  M.  arvensis  and  3L  piperita.  Dr.  Garcke,  of  Berlin,  finds  the 
plant  to  be  nearly  allied  to  Mentha  canadensis,  D.C,  and  also  to  M. 
aquatica,  var.  subspicata,  D.C.  Dr.  Franchet,  one  of  the  authors  of 
the  most  recent  "  Flora  of  Japan,  believes  the  Japanese  plant  to  be 
a  form  of  M.  arvensis,  characterized  by  the  acuminate  calycine  seg- 
ments, a  feature  which  constantly  occurs  in  sj^ecimens  from  eastern 
Asia."  He  adds,  "After  carefully  comparing  your  specimen  and 
having  vainly  sought  an  analogous  taste  in  the  different  forms  of  the 
3f.  arvensis  of  Europe,  I  have  found  in  them  only  an  insipid  and 
herbaceous  flavor ;  I  can  say  the  same  of  M.  arvensis  from  the  neigh- 
borhoods of  Pekin  and  Chefu,  in  the  province  of  Shantung,  and  from 
the  neighborhood  of  the  lake  Sitau,  in  the  province  of  Sche-kimy ; 
but  I  find  the  taste  of  peppermint  developed  in  a  very  high  degree  in 
a  specimen  gathered  at  Voosung,  near  Shanghai.  From  Japan  I 
possess  specimens  of  31.  arvensis  gathered  in  very  many  localities,  and 
I  have  found  the  taste  of  peppermint  in  all  my  specimens,  without 
exception.  This  taste  is  absolutely  the  same  as  that  furnished  by  your 
plant.  I  remark,  however,  that  the  taste  is  more  pronounced  in  pro- 
portion as  the  plants  are  more  robust ;  puny  specimens  with  small 
leaves  from  Kanasawa  (in  Nipphon)  possess  it  only  in  a  feeble  degree," 
He  thinks  that  the  peppermint  flavor  is  not  the  result  of  hybridity, 
since  no  other  species  has  hitherto  been  observed  in  Japan,  either  in  a 
cultivated  or  wild  state,  except  31.  crispa  ('^  So  Mokou  Zoussetz,"  xi, 
pi.  29)  (which  no  botanist,  that  he  is  aware  of,  has  ever  brought  back 
from  that  country),  and  3f.  gentilis,  which  is  well  delineated  under  the 
name  of  31.  arvensis  on  the  same  page  as  31.  piperita,  after  informa- 
tion probably  furnished  by  the  Dutch.  M.  Malinvaud  remarks  that 
the  name  piperita  cannot  be  appropriated  to  the  Japanese  plant,  as  it 
is  already  applied  to  a  form  of  31.  arvensis  with  flower  spikes.  He 
therefore  suggests  the  name  3fentha  arvensis,  var.  piper ascens. 
The  weight  of  opinion  is,  therefore,  on  the  side  of  considering  the 
Japanese  plant  as  a  form  of  3fentha  arvensis,  D.C.  If  31.  sativa, 
Lin.,  and  3f.  arvensis,  as  defined  by  Babington,  as  w^ell  as  31.  Javanica, 
D.C,  are  to  be  considered  as  forms  of  one  species,  then  the  Japanese 
plant  might,  I  think,  also  rank  as  a  form  under  the  name  of  31.  arven- 
2 
