Mentha micrantha

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Mentha micrantha
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Mentha
Species:
M. micrantha
Binomial name
Mentha micrantha
Synonyms

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. [3] Its epithet, micrantha, means "with small flowers." [4] It is unique among its genus as the only species that is an annual plant. [5] [6]

Contents

Taxonomy

The proper classification of Mentha micrantha is contentious. Several taxonomy references, such as Plants of the World Online and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, accept it as a distinct species. [7] [3] [8] A 2006 treatment of the genus Mentha however asserted it to be a variety of Mentha pulegium . [1]

Where treated as distinct, M. micrantha has been considered to belong to the section Pulegium within the Mentha genus. [5] This section associates it with plants such as M. pulegium as well as Mentha gattefossei . [9]

Description

Mentha micrantha is a small annual plant, growing erect, branched, square-shaped stems measuring from 12 to 30 centimeters high. Its leaves are almost entire, oblong or ovate in shape. It flowers in verticillasters 7 to 12 millimeters in length, producing bi-labiate corollas, pink, rose-lilac or purple in color. [2]

Distribution

Mentha micrantha is distributed throughout southeast Russia and western to central Kazakhstan. [1] [10] It occupies steppe areas and sinkholes. [5] [2] It is a hygrophyte, preferring wet soil conditions. [11]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Tucker & Naczi 2006, p. 26.
  2. 1 2 3 Borissova 1977, p. 450.
  3. 1 2 "Mentha micrantha (Fisch. ex Benth.) Heinr.Braun". The Plant List . Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  4. ↑ Harrison 2012, p. 135.
  5. 1 2 3 Chambers & Hummer 1994, p. 430.
  6. ↑ Harley & Brighton 1977, p. 77.
  7. ↑ "Mentha micrantha (Fisch. ex Benth.) Heinr.Braun". Plants of the World Online . Retrieved 2021-03-26.
  8. ↑ "Mentha micrantha (Fisch. ex Benth.) Heinr.Braun". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  9. ↑ Harley & Brighton 1977, p. 73.
  10. ↑ Ishmuratova et al. 2020, p. 39.
  11. ↑ Ishmuratova et al. 2020, p. 41.

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  2. Hypenia brachystachys(Pohl ex Benth.) Harley - southern Brazil
  3. Hypenia calycina(Pohl ex Benth.) Harley - Brazil
  4. Hypenia concinna(Benth.) Harley - Tocantins
  5. Hypenia crispata(Pohl ex Benth.) Harley - Goiás
  6. Hypenia densiflora(Pohl ex Benth.) Harley - Brazil
  7. Hypenia durifolia(Epling) Harley - Brazil
  8. Hypenia gardneriana(Benth.) Harley - Brazil
  9. Hypenia glauca(A.St.-Hil. ex Benth.) Harley - Brazil, Paraguay
  10. Hypenia inelegans(Epling) Harley - Brazil
  11. Hypenia irregularis(Benth.) Harley - Brazil
  12. Hypenia macrantha(A.St.-Hil. ex Benth.) Harley - Brazil
  13. Hypenia macrosiphon(Briq.) Harley - Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia
  14. Hypenia marifolia(Benth.) Harley - Brazil
  15. Hypenia micrantha(Benth.) Harley - Mato Grosso
  16. Hypenia paniculata(Benth.) Harley - Brazil
  17. Hypenia paradisi(Harley) Harley - Goiás
  18. Hypenia pauliana(Epling) Harley - Brazil
  19. Hypenia perplexa(Epling) Harley - Brazil
  20. Hypenia pruinosa(Pohl ex Benth.) Harley - Brazil
  21. Hypenia reticulata(Mart. ex Benth.) Harley - eastern Brazil
  22. Hypenia salzmannii(Benth.) Harley - Brazil, Guyana, Venezuela
  23. Hypenia simplex(A.St.-Hil. ex Benth.) Harley & J.F.B.Pastore - Brazil
  24. Hypenia subrosea(Harley) Harley - Goiás
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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 japonica is a plant species in the genus Mentha, 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. A relatively rare plant, it is classified by the Japanese Ministry of Environment as a Near Threatened species.

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References

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