| Mentha royleana | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Mentha |
| Species: | M. royleana |
| Binomial name | |
| Mentha royleana | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Mentha royleana, is a species within the Mentha (mint) genus, native to eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Himalayas and Kashmir. [1] A polymorphic perennial herb, M. royleana has seen diverse uses in traditional medicine. [2] [3]
Mentha royleana is known by the English common name of Royle's mint, named for British botanist John Forbes Royle. [4] [5] In Pakistan, it is referred to as Jangli podina [6] [7] or simply podina or pudina. [8] Other attested regional names include:
Mentha royleana resembles other Mentha species, in particular Mentha longifolia . Like other mints, M. royleana is a perennial plant, reproducing via rhizome, and shares the pungent mint aroma of most of the genus. [2]
It is distinguished from its close relatives by its narrowly oblong-elliptic mostly petiolate leaves, which tend to be discolored. [14] Other authors attest the leaves can occasionally be sessile. [1] Its spikes are more slender, with separated verticillasters and calyces measuring 1.5 to 2 millimeters. [14] Its flowers are small and whitish in color. [4] According to a 2011 study, M. royleana contains a mean 179.2 milligrams of caffeic acid, 46.93 milligrams of rosmarinic acid, 41.76 milligrams of ferulic acid per 100 grams of plant material. [15]
The Mentha species in general demonstrate a large amount of genetic variation and ease of hybridization, which has made taxonomic distinctions a fraught question. [16] [17] In a 2018 analysis, samples of M. royleana from different geographic regions of Pakistan demonstrated the greatest amount of genetic variability among the studied Mentha species. [18] As a result, several varieties have been defined. A 1992 study identified two varieties: var. glabra and var. gilgitica. [16] Botanist Karl Heinz Rechinger recognized three varieties in 1998: var. royleana, var. detonsa (Briquet) and var. afghanica (Murata). [14] A 2018 comparison of random amplification of polymorphic DNA markers differentiated three varieties of M. royleana: var. afghanica, var. royleana, and var. tugidus. [19]
The similarity of M. royleana to other mints has led some authors to even assign it as a mere varietal of M. longifolia. [20] [14] [2] However, it is currently accepted as a distinct species by authorities such as Plants of the World Online. [21] Studies of populations of M. royleana and M. spicata determined they were genetically distinct enough to justify their separate species classifications. [22] Recent literature continues to call for further investigation to establish M. royleana's true taxonomic status. [23] [17]
While Mentha royleana's native distribution is in the region of the Himalayas (including India, Pakistan and Nepal), it is now established throughout Northwest Asia and Europe. [9] It has also been intentionally cultivated in parts of China. [2] It is frequent in wet places, principally at elevations from 9000 to 11000 feet [24] (11,000 or 12,000 feet in another source [25] ). Some authors have described it as common, [13] or indeed even "the commonest mint" in Pakistan. [14]
Mentha royleana has been assessed as a plant with a "high use value" in traditional medicine. [26] It has been used to treat a variety of ailments. It is said to be used as a treatment for vomiting, diarrhea, dysentary, and cholera, as well as a general carminative. [27] [3] [28]
In the Margalla Hills, part of the Himalayan foothills, it is ground with the fruit of Zanthoxylum armatum and combined with salt as a stomach ache cure. [7] Herbal medicine practitioners in Batakundi mixes the leaves of M. royleana into green teas, with cooling and gas relief properties. [8] In Parachinar, the leaves of the plant are sewed into cloth pads and wrapped around babies' chests to relieve flus and chest problems. [10] In the Haramosh valley in Gilgit District, M. royleana is combined with pomegranate, ginger and garlic to produce a juice intended to treat diabetes and heart issues. [29] Combined with Thymus linearis (Himalayan Thyme), it is used to treat high blood pressure and abdominal worms. [29]
Aside from medical use, M. royleana is used to freshen the breath and in the preparation of sauces and salads. [30] The floral shoots of M. royleana are also used in religious ceremonies in Hinduism. [31]
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, also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint, is a species of mint, Mentha spicata (, 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 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 suaveolens, the apple mint, pineapple mint, woolly mint or round-leafed mint, is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae. It is native to southern and western Europe including the Mediterranean region. It is a herbaceous, upright perennial plant that is most commonly grown as a culinary herb or for ground cover.
Saiful Muluk is a mountainous lake in northern Pakistan, located at the northern end of the Kaghan Valley, near the town of Naran in the Saiful Muluk National Park. At an elevation of 3,224 m above sea level, the lake is located above the tree line, and is one of the highest lakes in Pakistan.
Mentha longifolia is a species in the genus Mentha (mint) native to Europe excluding Britain and Ireland, western and central Asia, and northern and southern Africa.
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.
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 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.
Yerba buena or hierba buena is the Spanish name for a number of aromatic plants, most of which belong to the mint family. Yerba buena translates as "good herb". The specific plant species regarded as yerba buena varies from region to region, depending on what grows wild in the surrounding landscape, or which species is customarily grown in local gardens. Perhaps the most common variation of this plant is spearmint. The term has been used to cover a number of aromatic true mints and mint relatives of the genera Clinopodium, Satureja or Micromeria. All plants so named are associated with medicinal properties, and some have culinary value as herbal teas or seasonings as well.
General elections were held in British India in December 1945 to elect members of the Central Legislative Assembly and the Council of State. The Indian National Congress emerged as the largest party, winning 57 of the 102 elected seats. The Muslim League won all Muslim constituencies, but failed to win any other seats. Of the 13 remaining seats, 8 went to Europeans, 3 to independents, and 2 to Akali candidates in the Sikh constituencies of Punjab. This election coupled with the provincial one in 1946 proved to be a strategic victory for Jinnah and the partitionists. Even though Congress won, the League had united the Muslim vote and as such it gained the negotiating power to seek a separate Muslim homeland as it became clear that a united India would prove highly unstable. The elected members later formed the Constituent Assembly of India.
Sisymbrium erysimoides, known as smooth mustard, is a plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is found on roadsides and wasteland, and as a weed of arable land. A native to western Mediterranean region, it is now well-established throughout the world.
Prunus brahuica is a species of flowering plant in the Rosaceae family. It is commonly called mashmonk or mazhmonk and ghorghosthai, is a species of wild almond native to Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is a dense, very thorny shrub 1.5 to 2.5 m tall, with young twigs that are brownish-red on one side and green on the other. It is morphologically similar to Prunus lycioides, P. spinosissima, P. eburnea and P. erioclada. It can be distinguished from the similar species by having an endocarp with reticulate furrows that are visible on the exterior of the drupe. People in Balochistan apply its gum as a treatment for wounded or infected eyes.
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".
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Data related to Mentha royleana at Wikispecies