Mentha atrolilacina | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Lamiaceae |
Genus: | Mentha |
Species: | M. atrolilacina |
Binomial name | |
Mentha atrolilacina B.J.Conn & D.J.Duval | |
Mentha atrolilacina, or slender mint, is a species within the Mentha (mint) genus, endemic to southeastern South Australia. [1] [2] It has been identified only within the Honans Native Forest Reserve, near Mount Gambier, South Australia. [3] Prior to its identification in 2010, specimens of M. atrolilacina had been considered part of the related species Mentha diemenica. [4] The species was discovered by the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre (SASCC). [5]
The taxonomic name atrolilacina derives from Latin atrolilacinus meaning "dark lilac," in reference to the color of the corolla lobes of the species. [2] It shares its common name "Slender mint" with the species Mentha diemenica from which it was distinguished. [6]
Mentha atrolilacina is similar in appearance to Mentha satureioides (native pennyroyal), Mentha diemenica and Mentha pulegium (pennyroyal). It grows up to 55 centimeters high, with hairy stems and branches. Its aromatic leaves are ovate to broadly ovate and grow 6 to 11 millimeters long. [3]
Mentha atrolilacina is distinguished from M. diemenica primarily by its much darker corolla. [7] It also differs in its more broadly cordate leaves and its included (non-protruding) stamen. [3]
Mentha is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae. The exact distinction between species is unclear; it is estimated that 13 to 24 species exist. Hybridization occurs naturally where some species' ranges overlap. Many hybrids and cultivars are known.
Peppermint is a hybrid species of mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in many regions of the world. It is occasionally found in the wild with its parent species.
Spearmint, a species of mint (mentha) scientifically classified as Mentha spicata (,) also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint, is native to Europe and southern temperate Asia, extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east. It is naturalized in many other temperate parts of the world, including northern and southern Africa, North America, and South America. It is used as a flavouring in food and herbal teas. The aromatic oil, called oil of spearmint, is also used as a flavoring and sometimes as a scent.
Mentha pulegium, commonly (European) pennyroyal, or pennyrile, also called mosquito plant and pudding grass, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Crushed pennyroyal leaves emit a very strong fragrance similar to spearmint. Pennyroyal is a traditional folk remedy, emmenagogue, abortifacient, and culinary herb, but is toxic to the liver and has caused some deaths. European pennyroyal is related to an American species, Hedeoma pulegioides. Though they differ in genera, they share similar chemical properties.
Mentha aquatica is a perennial flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. It grows in moist places and is native to much of Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia.
Mentha arvensis, the corn mint, field mint, or wild mint, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. It has a circumboreal distribution, being native to the temperate regions of Europe and western and central Asia, east to the Himalaya and eastern Siberia, and North America. Mentha canadensis, the related species, is also included in Mentha arvensis by some authors as two varieties, M. arvensis var. glabrata Fernald and M. arvensis var. piperascens Malinv. ex L. H. Bailey.
Celtis occidentalis, commonly known as the common hackberry, is a large deciduous tree native to North America. It is also known as the nettletree, sugarberry, beaverwood, northern hackberry, and American hackberry. It is a moderately long-lived hardwood with a light-colored wood, yellowish gray to light brown with yellow streaks.
Lepechinia fragrans is a flowering herbaceous shrub known by the common names island pitchersage and fragrant pitchersage. It is a member of the Lamiaceae, or mint family, but like other Lepechinia, the flowers are borne in racemes instead of in mintlike whorls.
Cladrastis kentukea, the Kentucky yellowwood or American yellowwood, is a species of Cladrastis native to the Southeastern United States, with a restricted range from western North Carolina west to eastern Oklahoma, and from southern Missouri and Indiana south to central Alabama. The tree is sometimes also called Virgilia.
Hedeoma pulegioides, also known as American pennyroyal or American false pennyroyal, is a species of Hedeoma native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia and southern Ontario west to Minnesota and South Dakota, and south to northern Georgia and Arkansas.
Mentha diemenica, commonly known as slender mint, is a flowering plant in the Lamiaceae family. It grows in the Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory and all mainland states except Western Australia. It has mint-scented foliage and clusters of purple flowers.
Mentha cervina, commonly known as hart's pennyroyal, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Mentha (mint) genus. It is native to the western Mediterranean Sea region, growing naturally from southwestern France to the Iberian Peninsula, and south to Azores, Morocco and Algeria. Its common name reflects a traditional association with the separate species Mentha pulegium or pennyroyal. The plants were associated due to their shared high pulegone content, which gives them both a distinctive, strong aroma.
Lepechinia cardiophylla is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common names Santa Ana pitcher sage and heart-leaved pitcher sage. A broad-leaved fragrant shrub, it has distinct pitcher-shaped flowers. It is native to the Peninsular Ranges and found in the Santa Ana Mountains of Southern California, a few locations in San Diego County, and some of the coastal mountains of northern Baja California. Few populations of the plant are known and many of them are located in areas that are threatened by development and other human activity.
Coprosma quadrifida is a dioecious shrub of the family Rubiaceae native to southeastern Australia. First described as Canthium quadrifidum by Labillardiere, it was given its current name by B. L. Robinson in 1910. Typically found at damp sites within woodlands, Eucalyptus forests or cool-temperate rainforests, it prefers sheltered slopes or sites near water sources. They are able to withstand frost and are salt tolerant. The species is also known as the Prickly Currant Bush.
Mentha satureioides, commonly known as native pennyroyal or creeping mint, is a species of herbaceous perennial native to southern + eastern Australia. It was first described by prolific botanist Robert Brown in 1810.
Thymus pulegioides, common names broad-leaved thyme or lemon thyme, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to Europe. Growing to 5–25 cm (2–10 in) tall by 25 cm (10 in) wide, it is a small spreading subshrub with strongly aromatic leaves, and lilac pink flowers in early summer. The specific epithet pulegioides highlights its similarity to another species within Lamiaceae, Mentha pulegium (pennyroyal).
Barry John Conn, is an Australian botanist. He was awarded a Ph.D. from Adelaide University in 1982 for work on Prostanthera.
Mentha cunninghamii, known commonly as New Zealand mint or Māori mint, is a species within the Mentha (mint) genus, endemic to New Zealand.