Mentha japonica | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Lamiaceae |
Genus: | Mentha |
Species: | M. japonica |
Binomial name | |
Mentha japonica | |
Synonyms | |
Mentha japonica is a species of plant in the family Lamiaceae, endemic to the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu, Japan. Initially described as Micromeria japonica by Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel, it was first identified under its present name by Japanese botanist Tomitaro Makino in 1906. [3] A relatively rare plant, it is classified by the Japanese Ministry of Environment as a Near Threatened species.
Mentha japonica's botanical name is derived from its country of origin, Japan. One of its Japanese-language vernacular name is said to derive from the plant's small size compared to other mint species. [4] In the Japanese literary system of hanakotoba, M. japonica is used as a metaphor for virtue. [4]
Mentha japonica is now generally accepted as a distinct species by taxonomic authorities, [5] [6] but (as with mints generally) the exact phylogenetic tree of Mentha japonica has been difficult to determine due to the genus' tendency to hybridize readily. The species was not included among some 19th or 20th-century academic classifications of the genus Mentha. [7] Where it was included, authors have differed on which members of Mentha it is most similar to, and therefore which section of Mentha to classify it within. For example, a 1971 paper placed it with Mentha arvensis within the subgenus Menthastrum sect. Verticillatae, on the basis of the presence of flower spikes in the axils of leaves. [8] Conversely, a 2002 author placed it within the section Eriodontes, along with Mentha australis , Mentha diemenica , Mentha satureioides and Mentha cunninghamii. [9] However a more recent 2006 survey placed it within the section Mentha, along with seven other species including Mentha spicata & Mentha canadensis . [10] A 2018 phylogenetic study disputed the placement with Mentha, finding it was not closely related to the other mints within the section. These same researchers found a close genetic similarity to Mentha gattefossei , because of which they re-proposed the classification of M. japonica within section Eridontes. [11] It has also been placed with section Capitatae, along with Mentha aquatica and Mentha dahurica . [12]
Mentha japonica may be categorized as among the mints with menthol as a primary monoterpene compound (as opposed to carvone or linalool), a characteristic it shares with the majority of the genus. [13]
Genetically, along with M. gattefossei and Mentha pulegium , it has a base chromosome number of x = 10. [14] It is generally reported to have a somatic chromosome count of 2n = 48. [8] [15] It is thought to be either tetraploid or pentaploid. [16]
Viable laboratory hybridization has been documented between M. japonica and the Mentha species M. canadensis, M. aquatica, M. rotundifolia, M. spicata & M. arvensis. [17] [15] A possibility of hybridization with M. dahurica has also been predicted based upon phylogram similarity. [17]
Mentha japonica is a perennial plant which grows to a height of 20-40 centimeters. It spreads and reproduces clonally via thin rhizomes. Its leaves are oblong with entire margins, and its flowers vary from white to pale violet. [18] [19] It has an odor similar to pennyroyal (m. pulegium). [20]
The essential oil components of M. japonica appear to be variable. One 1970 survey found the primary constituents to be menthone (50.8%), isomenthone (18.6%) and pulegone (12.6%). Other chemical constituents identified in smaller amounts include 3-Octanone, 3-Octonal, d-Limonene, alpha-Pinene, beta-Pinene, Menthyl acetate and Piperitone. [21] These numbers were broadly confirmed by a follow-up survey, but an analysis shortly after (1978) found a significantly higher pulegone content (50%) and lower menthone content (27.9%). [22] A study of wild plants in Hokkaido recorded pulegone content as high as 64.3 to 68%, while experimentally-grown plants in Fukushima Prefecture yielded only between 24.8 to 33.9% depending on soil conditions. [23] [24]
At least one named variation exists, a long stem variety, form. prostrataSugimoto. [24] This variant grows its stem more than one meter and tends to fall to the ground. [25]
Mentha japonica is endemic to the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu within its native range. [26] It occupies lowland & mountain wetlands, and blooms from August to October in Japan. [19] [27]
It is considered a rare plant in its native distribution. [2] According to the Threatened Wildlife of Japan Red Data Book, published by Japan's Ministry of Environment, Mentha japonica is classified as Near Threatened. [1] This is an upgrade from its 2004 classification, which had listed it as Vulnerable. [28] Documented there in the 1940s and 1950s, it is now considered extinct within Aichi Prefecture, due to loss of its preferred habitat. [25]
Like other mints, Mentha japonica is used as both an aromatic herb and as a traditional remedy. [4] Topical ointments containing M. japonica have also been used to treat mastitis in cows. [29]
The Lamiaceae or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle, or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, hyssop, thyme, lavender, and perilla, as well as other medicinal herbs such as catnip, salvia, bee balm, wild dagga, and oriental motherwort. Some species are shrubs, trees, or, rarely, vines. Many members of the family are widely cultivated, not only for their aromatic qualities, but also their ease of cultivation, since they are readily propagated by stem cuttings. Besides those grown for their edible leaves, some are grown for decorative foliage. Others are grown for seed, such as Salvia hispanica (chia), or for their edible tubers, such as Plectranthus edulis, Plectranthus esculentus, Plectranthus rotundifolius, and Stachys affinis. Many are also grown ornamentally, notably coleus, Plectranthus, and many Salvia species and hybrids.
Mentha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. It is estimated that 13 to 24 species exist, but the exact distinction between species is unclear. 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 longifolia, also known as horse mint, brookmint, fillymint or St. John's horsemint, is a species of plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to Europe excluding Britain and Ireland, western and central Asia, and northern and southern Africa.
Pulegone is a naturally occurring organic compound obtained from the essential oils of a variety of plants such as Nepeta cataria (catnip), Mentha piperita, and pennyroyal. It is classified as a monoterpene.
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.
Eau de Cologne mint, also known as orange mint and bergamot mint, is a cultivated mint. In a 1970 study, most plants were found to be male sterile forms of Mentha aquatica, so were regarded as Mentha aquatica var. citrata, although in England the hybrid Mentha × piperita was found. The Royal Horticultural Society treats eau de Cologne mint as Mentha × piperita f. citrata. The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families sinks both scientific names into Mentha aquatica.
Mentha canadensis is a species of mint native to North America and the eastern part of Asia. In North America, it is commonly known as Canada mint, American wild mint, and in Asia as Chinese mint, Sakhalin mint, Japanese mint, and East Asian wild mint. The flowers are bluish or have a slight violet tint. The plant is upright, growing to about 4–18 in (10–46 cm) tall. Leaves grow opposite from each other, and flower bunches appear in the upper leaf axils. The mint grows in wet areas but not directly in water, so it will be found near sloughs, and lake and river edges. Plants bloom from July to August in their native habitats.
Mentha × gracilis is a hybrid mint species within the genus Mentha, a sterile hybrid between Mentha arvensis (cornmint) and Mentha spicata. It is cultivated for its essential oil, used to flavour spearmint chewing gum. It is known by the common names of gingermint, redmint and Scotchmint in Europe, and as Scotch spearmint in North America.
Micromeria is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, widespread across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, with a center of diversity in the Mediterranean region and the Canary Islands. It is sometimes placed within the genus Satureja. The name is derived from the Greek words μῑκρος (mīkros), meaning "small," and μερίς (meris), meaning "portion," referring to the leaves and flowers. Common names include savory and whitweed.
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.
The flora of Japan comprises a large assemblage of plant species which can be found in Japan, such as sakura, katsura, momiji and azalea. There are many species which are endemic to Japan.
Mentha cunninghamii, known commonly as New Zealand mint or Māori mint, is a species within the Mentha (mint) genus, endemic to New Zealand.
Mentha atrolilacina, or slender mint, is a species within the Mentha (mint) genus, endemic to southeastern South Australia. It has been identified only within the Honans Native Forest Reserve, near Mount Gambier, South Australia. Prior to its identification in 2010, specimens of M. atrolilacina had been considered part of the related species Mentha diemenica. The species was discovered by the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre (SASCC).
Mentha gattefossei is a plant species in the genus Mentha, endemic to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. It was first described by French botanist René Maire in 1922. Harvested for its essential oil, M. gattefossei has seen use in traditional medicine, pest control and as a food seasoning.
Mentha grandiflora is a plant species in the genus Mentha, endemic to eastern Australia. The species was described in 1848 by botanist George Bentham. Its epithet, grandiflora, means "with large flowers".
Mentha micrantha, is a plant species in the genus Mentha, native to western Kazakhstan and southeastern Russia. The species was described in 1890 by botanist George Bentham. Its epithet, micrantha, means "with small flowers." It is unique among its genus as the only species that is an annual plant.