Mentha longifolia

Last updated

Mentha longifolia
Mentha longifolia 2005.08.02 09.53.56.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Mentha
Species:
M. longifolia
Binomial name
Mentha longifolia
Synonyms
List
  • Mentha acroceraia(Topitz) Trautm.
  • Mentha acuminataTopitz
  • Mentha aepycaulosCandargy
  • Mentha aequifronsTrautm. & Urum.
  • Mentha albidaDéségl. & T.Durand ex Briq.
  • Mentha albidaRchb. ex Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha alpigenaA.Kern.
  • Mentha ambiguaGuss.
  • Mentha aquatica var. gracilisWimm. & Grab.
  • Mentha bacsensisTrautm.
  • Mentha baldensisHeinr.Braun
  • Mentha balsamifloraHeinr.Braun
  • Mentha bezdanensisProdan
  • Mentha brachycladaSennen
  • Mentha brassoensis(Topitz) Trautm.
  • Mentha brevidentataSennen
  • Mentha brevispicataOpiz ex Strail
  • Mentha brittingeriOpiz
  • Mentha caerulescensOpiz ex Strail
  • Mentha candicansMill.
  • Mentha candicans f. angustifolia(Lapeyr.) Timb.-Lagr.
  • Mentha candicans f. leptostachyaPérard
  • Mentha candicans f. ramosaTimb.-Lagr.
  • Mentha canescensRoth
  • Mentha cardiophyllosBorbás ex Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha castellanaSennen & Elías
  • Mentha caucasicaGand.
  • Mentha caucasica(Briq.) Vorosch.
  • Mentha chaunanthera(Topitz) Trautm.
  • Mentha chrysostomiSennen
  • Mentha coerulescensOpiz ex Déségl.
  • Mentha collivaga(Briq.) Trautm.
  • Mentha cordataPosp.
  • Mentha creticaPort. ex Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha crispaTen.
  • Mentha cuspidataOpiz ex Déségl.
  • Mentha danubialisBorbás & Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha danubialisGand.
  • Mentha decloetianaOpiz
  • Mentha densicapilla(Briq.) Trautm.
  • Mentha despectaSennen
  • Mentha dionisianaSennen
  • Mentha discolorOpiz ex Déségl.
  • Mentha divaricataLag. ex Spreng.
  • Mentha domingoiSennen
  • Mentha dulcissimaDumort.
  • Mentha × dumetorum var. hispidula(Boreau) Rouy
  • Mentha eisensteinianaOpiz
  • Mentha ensidens(Briq.) Trautm.
  • Mentha favratiiDéségl. & T.Durand
  • Mentha filinaWallr.
  • Mentha firmicaulis(Briq.) Trautm.
  • Mentha flanaticaBorbás ex Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha fluvialisPérard
  • Mentha foliosaOpiz
  • Mentha foroiulensis(Topitz) Trautm.
  • Mentha glaucostachya(Topitz) Trautm.
  • Mentha grisellaBriq.
  • Mentha grisella subsp. caucasicaBriq.
  • Mentha grisella subsp. minutifloraBriq.
  • Mentha grisella subsp. seriata(A.Kern.) Briq.
  • Mentha grisella subsp. syriaca(Déségl.) Briq.
  • Mentha halleriC.C.Gmel.
  • Mentha hapalophylla(Briq.) Trautm.
  • Mentha hispidulaBoreau
  • Mentha hollosyanaBorbás
  • Mentha horridula(Briq.) Trautm.
  • Mentha hugueniniiDéségl. & T.Durand
  • Mentha hybridaSchleich.
  • Mentha illyricaBorbás & Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha incanaWilld.
  • Mentha incana f. barthianaBorbás
  • Mentha incana var. litoralisBorbás
  • Mentha ischnostachya(Topitz) Trautm.
  • Mentha josephiSennen
  • Mentha jucundaSennen
  • Mentha jurana(Déségl. & T.Durand) Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha kozorensisTrautm.
  • Mentha krassoensisHeinr.Braun
  • Mentha kunciiBorbás
  • Mentha laggeriDéségl. & T.Durand
  • Mentha lavandulaceaWilld.
  • Mentha lavandulifoliaPers.
  • Mentha leioneuraBorbás
  • Mentha lepidioidesLegrand
  • Mentha lereschiiDéségl. & T.Durand
  • Mentha leucanthaBorbás ex Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha ligustrinaHeinr.Braun
  • Mentha litigiosaSennen
  • Mentha macilenta(Briq.) Trautm.
  • Mentha marisensisSimonk.
  • Mentha mellifluensHaw. ex Spach
  • Mentha mentitaSennen
  • Mentha microcephala(Gelmi) Dalla Torre & Sarnth.
  • Mentha microstachyaSennen
  • Mentha minutifloraA.Kern.
  • Mentha mixtaSennen
  • Mentha mollicomaOpiz ex Strail
  • Mentha mollis(Rochel) Trautm.
  • Mentha mollis f. leptostachyaBorbás
  • Mentha mollis var. retinervisBorbás
  • Mentha mollissimaBorkh.
  • Mentha mollissima var. bornmuelleriHeinr.Braun
  • Mentha mollissima f. exsertaPérard
  • Mentha mollissima f. inclusaPérard
  • Mentha mollissima f. plicataPérard
  • Mentha monticolaDéségl. & T.Durand
  • Mentha monticola var. juranaDéségl. & T.Durand
  • Mentha mosztongensisTrautm.
  • Mentha nativitatis-mariaeSennen
  • Mentha neilreichianaHeinr.Braun
  • Mentha nematostachya(Topitz) Trautm.
  • Mentha × nemorosa var. crispa(Benth.) Timb.-Lagr.
  • Mentha × nemorosa subsp. dulcissima(Dumort.) Briq.
  • Mentha nigrescensK.Koch
  • Mentha × niliaca var. sapida(Tausch ex Rchb.) Briq.
  • Mentha noeanaBoiss.
  • Mentha noricaHeinr.Braun
  • Mentha nouletianaTimb.-Lagr.
  • Mentha oblongaOpiz
  • Mentha omissaSennen
  • Mentha pachylodes(Briq.) Trautm.
  • Mentha pagana(Topitz) Domin
  • Mentha pallidaNees ex Mart.
  • Mentha panormitanaHeinr.Braun
  • Mentha pantotricha(Briq.) Trautm.
  • Mentha paramecophyllon(Topitz) Trautm.
  • Mentha parvifloraSennen
  • Mentha pedroiSennen
  • Mentha pellitaDéségl.
  • Mentha persicaBenth.
  • Mentha petitrixSennen
  • Mentha phaeocoma(Briq.) Trautm.
  • Mentha planitiensis(Topitz) Trautm.
  • Mentha proceraSennen
  • Mentha psilocladaSennen
  • Mentha ratisbonensisOpiz
  • Mentha rectaDéségl. & T.Durand
  • Mentha reflexifoliaOpiz
  • Mentha reflexifolia var. serrulata(Opiz ex Déségl.) Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha retinervisBorbás ex Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha rigensDéségl. & T.Durand
  • Mentha rochelianaBorbás & Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha rotundifoliaSole
  • Mentha × rotundifolia var. maritimaGadeceau
  • Mentha rozaliaeTrautm.
  • Mentha sapidaTausch ex Rchb.
  • Mentha sedunensisAyasse ex Briq.
  • Mentha seriataA.Kern.
  • Mentha serotinaTen.
  • Mentha serratula(Topitz) Trautm.
  • Mentha serrulataOpiz ex Déségl.
  • Mentha sphaerostachyaHaussm. ex Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha spicata var. longifoliaL.
  • Mentha spicata subsp. longifolia(L.) Tacik
  • Mentha spicata var. microphylla(Lej. & Courtois) Lebeau
  • Mentha stenanthaBorbás ex Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha stenanthelmia(Topitz) Trautm.
  • Mentha stenocladaSennen
  • Mentha stenostachyaK.Richt.
  • Mentha stenotrichaBorbás
  • Mentha suavisHoffm. ex Sm.
  • Mentha suavissimaLej. ex Malinv.
  • Mentha subincanaHeinr.Braun
  • Mentha subintegrifoliaDéségl.
  • Mentha subviridisBorbás ex Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha sylvestrisL.
  • Mentha sylvestris var. alpigena(A.Kern.) Nyman
  • Mentha sylvestris var. angustifoliaLapeyr.
  • Mentha sylvestris subsp. arctifronsBriq.
  • Mentha sylvestris subsp. brevifronsBorbás ex Briq.
  • Mentha sylvestris var. candicansBecker
  • Mentha sylvestris var. canescensRegel
  • Mentha sylvestris f. canescensGaudin
  • Mentha sylvestris var. compactaWimm. & Grab.
  • Mentha sylvestris var. crispaBenth.
  • Mentha sylvestris var. diffusaK.Koch
  • Mentha sylvestris var. discolorK.Koch
  • Mentha sylvestris subvar. domesticaTausch ex Nyman
  • Mentha sylvestris var. flaccidaWimm. & Grab.
  • Mentha sylvestris var. floribundaWimm. & Grab.
  • Mentha sylvestris var. grandisWimm. & Grab.
  • Mentha sylvestris subvar. hispidula(Boreau) Nyman
  • Mentha sylvestris var. hybrida(Schleich.) Gaudin
  • Mentha sylvestris var. ibericaK.Koch
  • Mentha sylvestris var. incana(Willd.) Bastard
  • Mentha sylvestris subvar. incana(Willd.) Nyman
  • Mentha sylvestris var. lancifoliaK.Koch
  • Mentha sylvestris subsp. lavandulaceaBriq.
  • Mentha sylvestris var. majorWirtg.
  • Mentha sylvestris var. marisensis(Simonk.) Nyman
  • Mentha sylvestris var. microcephalaGelmi
  • Mentha sylvestris var. microphyllaLej. & Courtois
  • Mentha sylvestris f. minorBecker
  • Mentha sylvestris var. mollisRochel
  • Mentha sylvestris var. mollissima(Borkh.) G.Gaertn., B.Mey. & Scherb.
  • Mentha sylvestris subsp. mollissima(Borkh.) Schübl. & G.Martens
  • Mentha sylvestris var. nouletiana(Timb.-Lagr.) Batt.
  • Mentha sylvestris f. pahinensisTopitz
  • Mentha sylvestris var. pallescensHeinr.Braun
  • Mentha sylvestris subsp. pellita(Déségl.) Briq.
  • Mentha sylvestrisconvar. planifolia Alef.
  • Mentha sylvestris subsp. procurrensBriq.
  • Mentha sylvestris var. serotina(Ten.) Nyman
  • Mentha sylvestris var. simplexWimm. & Grab.
  • Mentha sylvestris var. sordidaWimm. & Grab.
  • Mentha sylvestris var. subintegraWimm. & Grab.
  • Mentha sylvestris var. teydaeBolle
  • Mentha sylvestris var. thaumasiaMurr
  • Mentha sylvestris f. tomentosaWimm. & Grab.
  • Mentha sylvestris var. wierzbickiana(Opiz) Nyman
  • Mentha syriacaDéségl.
  • Mentha syrmiensisBorbás ex Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha szamosiana(Topitz) Trautm.
  • Mentha szenezyanaBorbás
  • Mentha szilyanaBorbás
  • Mentha taphrophila(Topitz) Trautm.
  • Mentha tenoreiPérard
  • Mentha thaumasia(Murr) Dalla Torre & Sarnth.
  • Mentha tomentosaStokes
  • Mentha transmotaDéségl. & T.Durand
  • Mentha transsilvanicaSchur
  • Mentha uliginosaSalisb.
  • Mentha ulotricha(Topitz) Trautm.
  • Mentha vallesiaca(Briq.) Trautm.
  • Mentha veroniciformisOpiz ex Strail
  • Mentha × villosa f. nouletiana(Timb.-Lagr.) Topitz
  • Mentha × villosa var. sapida(Tausch ex Rchb.) Rouy
  • Mentha × villosa var. tenoreiBriq.
  • Mentha viridescensBorbás
  • Mentha viridescens f. leioneuraBorbás
  • Mentha viridescens f. macrostemaBorbás
  • Mentha viridis subsp. candicansBerher
  • Mentha viridis var. canescensGren. & Godr.
  • Mentha viridis var. minutodontaTopitz
  • Mentha viridis subsp. nouletiana(Timb.-Lagr.) Nyman
  • Mentha weinernianaOpiz ex Strail
  • Mentha wierzbickianaOpiz
  • Mentha wierzbickiana f. holubyanaHeinr.Braun
  • Mentha wierzbickiana f. lintiaeHeinr.Braun & Topitz
  • Mentha wierzbickiana var. richteriBorbás ex Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha wierzbickiana var. stenanthaBorbás ex Heinr.Braun
  • Mentha wierzbickiana f. subcrispaHeinr.Braun & Topitz
  • Mentha wirzbickianaOpiz ex Déségl.
  • Mentha wondracekiiOpiz ex Strail

Mentha longifolia, also known as horse mint, [1] brookmint, [2] fillymint or St. John's horsemint, is a species of plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to Europe excluding Britain and Ireland, [3] western and central Asia (east to Nepal and far western China), and northern and southern (but not tropical) Africa. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Description

It is a very variable herbaceous perennial plant with a peppermint-scented aroma. Like many mints, it has a creeping rhizome, with erect to creeping stems 40–120 cm tall. The leaves are oblong-elliptical to lanceolate, 5–10 cm long and 1.5–3 cm broad, thinly to densely tomentose, green to greyish-green above and white below. The flowers are 3–5 mm long, lilac, purplish, or white, produced in dense clusters (verticillasters) on tall, branched, tapering spikes; flowering in mid to late summer. It spreads via rhizomes to form clonal colonies. [6] [7] [8]

Taxonomy

Mentha longifolia has been widely confused with tomentose variant plants of the species Mentha spicata ; it can be distinguished from these by the hairs being simple and unbranched, in contrast to the branched hairs of M. spicata. [7]

Infraspecies

The following subspecies and varieties are recognised: [9]

Hybrids

Mentha longifolia hybridizes with other Mentha species. Hybrids include:

Varieties and cultivars

Unlike other commonly cultivated species and hybrids of mint, there are few horticultural cultivars of M. longifolia. [10] The only ones of note are:

Cultivation

Like almost all mints, Mentha longifolia can be invasive. Care needs to be taken when planting it in non-controlled areas.

Uses

Nicholas Culpeper's Complete Herbal (1653) states that "It is good for wind and colic in the stomach ... The juice, laid on warm, helps the King's evil or kernels in the throat ... The decoction or distilled water helps a stinking breath, proceeding from corruption of the teeth, and snuffed up the nose, purges the head. It helps the scurf or dandruff of the head used with vinegar." [11] In addition, Mentha longifolia, like other Mentha species, is known to have important medicinal properties. [12]

See also

References

  1. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  2. "PlantFiles: Mentha Species, Brook Mint, Horsemint". Dave's Garden. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  3. "The IUCN Red List of threatened species: Mentha longifolia (Horse Mint)". International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. 25 April 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  4. Euro+Med Plantbase Project: Mentha longifolia Archived 9 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  5. African Flowering Plants Database: Mentha longifolia
  6. 1 2 Flora of China: Mentha longifolia
  7. 1 2 Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). Flora of Britain and Northern Europe. ISBN   0-340-40170-2
  8. Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan ISBN   0-333-47494-5.
  9. "Mentha longifolia (L.) L. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  10. 1 2 Royal Horticultural Society plant finder and selector https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/search-results?form-mode=true&query=Mentha%20longifolia
  11. Grieve, Maud (1971). A Modern Herbal: The Medicinal, Culinary, Cosmetic and Economic Properties, Cultivation and Folk-lore of Herbs, Grasses, Fungi, Shrubs, & Trees with All Their Modern Scientific Uses, Volume 2.
  12. Sevindik, Mustafa. "Determination of therapeutic potential of Mentha longifolia ssp. longifolia". Fresenius Environmental Bulletin. 26 (7): 4757–4763.