Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Lamiids: Lamiales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Mentha spicata var. spicata
FAMILY
Lamiaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Read more about Mentha at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Mentha spicata
FAMILY
Lamiaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Mentha spicata
INCLUDED WITHIN Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Mentha spicata
INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 164-32-006:
Mentha spicata FAMILY Lamiaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Mentha spicata
COMMON NAME:
Spearmint
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA Forest Service / A Guide to Medicinal Plants of Appalachia. 1969 mpa_page_175
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_mesp3_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_mesp3_004_lvd
)
Joseph M. DiTomaso, University of California - Davis, Bugwood.org bug_5387436
Month Unknown
Spikes more slender than Peppermint's and with a distinctive Spearmint aroma, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
Joseph M. DiTomaso, University of California - Davis, Bugwood.org bug_5387436b
Month Unknown
Petioles of the main leaves 0-3 mm long (vs. 4-15 mm long in M. xpiperita), per Weakley's Flora (2012).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Mentha spicata var. spicata
FAMILY
Lamiaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Mentha spicata
FAMILY
Lamiaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Mentha spicata
INCLUDED WITHIN
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Mentha spicata
INCLUDED WITHIN
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 164-32-006:
Mentha spicata
FAMILY
Lamiaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Mentha spicata
3040
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Europe
Uncommon in NC Mountains, rare elsewhere
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant may be causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
LEAVES:
Simple
Opposite
Leaves sessile to short-petiolate
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Whitish/Lavender
Almost radially symmetrical
5-toothed calyx
4-lobed corolla
4 exserted stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Schizocarp of mericarps
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".