Mentha
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Mentha
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Mentha (also known as Mint,
from Greek míntha,[1] Linear B mi-ta)[2] is
a genus of flowering plants in the familyLamiaceae (mint family).[3] The species are not clearly distinct and
estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18.[4] Hybridization between some of the species
occurs naturally. Many other hybrids as well as numerous cultivars are known in cultivation. The genus has a subcosmopolitan distribution
across Europe, Africa,Asia, Australia, and North America.[5]
Mints are aromatic,
almost exclusively perennial,
rarely annual, herbs. They have wide-spreading underground
and overground stolons[6] and
erect, square,[7] branched stems. The leaves are
arranged in opposite pairs,
from oblongto lanceolate, often downy, and with a serrate margin. Leaf colors range from
dark green and gray-green to purple, blue, and sometimes pale yellow.[5] The flowers are white to purple and produced in false
whorls called verticillasters. The corolla is two-lipped with four subequal
lobes, the upper lobe usually the largest. The fruit is
a small, dry capsule containing
one to four seeds.
While the species
that make up the Mentha genus are widely distributed and can be found in many
environments, most Mentha grow best in wet environments and moist soils. Mints
will grow 10–120 cm tall and can spread over an indeterminate area. Due to
their tendency to spread unchecked, mints are considered invasive.[8]
Species
The list below
includes all of the taxa that have been
recognized as species in recent works on Mentha. No author has
recognized all of them. As with all biological
classifications of plants, this list can go out of date at a
moment's notice. Common names are also given for species that have them.
Synonyms, along with cultivars and
varieties are given in articles on the species.
Taxonomy
Mentha is a member of
the tribe Mentheae
in the subfamily Nepetoideae.
The tribe contains about 65 genera and relationships within it remain obscure.[3]Different authors have disagreed on
the circumscription of Mentha.
Some authors have excluded Mentha cervina from the genus. Mentha
cunninghamii has also been excluded by some authors, even in some
recent treatments of the genus.[10] In 2004, a molecular
phylogenetic study indicated that both of these species should
be included in Mentha.[4]
Selected hybrids
The mint genus has a
large grouping of recognized hybrids. Synonyms, along with cultivars and
varieties where available, are included within the specific species.
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Mentha × rotundifolia (M. longifolia × M. suaveolens) - False
Apple-mint
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Mentha × smithiana (M. aquatica × M. arvensis × M.
spicata) - Red Raripila Mint
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Mentha × villosa (M. spicata × M. suaveolens) - Also called Mentha
nemorosa, large apple mint, foxtail mint, hairy mint, woolly mint, Cuban
mint, mojito mint, and is known as yerba buena in Cuba.
·
Mentha × villosonervata (M. longifolia × M. spicata) -
Sharp-toothed Mint
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Cultivation
Mentha x gracilis and M.
rotundifolia. The steel ring is to control the spread of the plant.
All mints prefer, and
thrive in, cool, moist spots in partial shade.[11] In general, mints tolerate a
wide range of conditions, and can also be grown in full sun.
They are fast
growing, extending their reach along surfaces through a network of runners. Due to their speedy growth, one plant
of each desired mint, along with a little care, will provide more than enough
mint for home use. Some mint species are more invasive than others. Even with the less
invasive mints, care should be taken when mixing any mint with any other
plants, lest the mint take over. To control mints in an open environment, mints
should be planted in deep, bottomless containers sunk in the ground, or planted
above ground in tubs and barrels.[11]
Some mints can be
propagated by seed. Growth from seed can be an unreliable method for raising
mint for two reasons: mint seeds are highly variable - one might not end up
with what one presupposed was planted;[11] and some mint varieties are
sterile. It is more effective to take and plant cuttings from the runners of
healthy mints.
The most common and
popular mints for cultivation are peppermint (Mentha × piperita), spearmint (Mentha spicata), and
(more recently) apple mint (Mentha
suaveolens).
Mints are supposed to
make good companion plants,
repelling pest insects and attracting beneficial ones. Mints are susceptible to whitefly and aphids.
Harvesting of mint
leaves can be done at any time. Fresh mint leaves should be used immediately or
stored up to a couple of days in plastic bags within a refrigerator.
Optionally, mint can be frozen in ice cube trays. Dried mint leaves should be
stored in an airtight container placed in a cool, dark, dry area.[12]
Uses
Culinary
A jar of mint jelly.
Mint jelly is a traditional condiment served with lamb dishes.
Mint is widely used
in Indian cuisine. For example: Hyderabadi Biryani,Paani prepration of Paani
poori,...etc.
The leaf, fresh or
dried, is the culinary source of mint. Fresh mint is usually preferred over
dried mint when storage of the mint is not a problem. The leaves have a warm,
fresh, aromatic, sweet flavor with a cool aftertaste. Mint leaves are used in
teas, beverages, jellies, syrups, candies, and ice creams. In Middle Eastern
cuisine, mint is used on lamb dishes, while inBritish cuisine and American
cuisine, mint sauce and
mint jelly are used, respectively.
Mint is a necessary
ingredient in Touareg tea, a
popular tea in northern African and Arab countries.
Alcoholic drinks
sometimes feature mint for flavor or garnish, such as the mint julep and the mojito. Crème de menthe is a mint-flavored liqueur used in drinks such as the grasshopper.
Mint essential oil and menthol are extensively used as
flavorings in breath fresheners, drinks, antiseptic mouth
rinses,toothpaste, chewing gum, desserts, and candies; see mint (candy) and mint chocolate. The substances that give the
mints their characteristic aromas and flavors are menthol (the main aroma of Peppermint and Japanese Peppermint) andpulegone (in Pennyroyal and Corsican Mint). The compound primarily
responsible for the aroma and flavor of spearmint isR-carvone.
Mints are used as
food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Buff Ermine.
Medicinal and cosmetic
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced
material may be challenged andremoved. (November 2011)
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Mint was originally
used as a medicinal herb to treat stomach ache and chest pains, and it is commonly used in the
form of tea as a home remedy to
help alleviate stomach pain. In Rome, Pliny recommended that a wreath of mint
was a good thing for students to wear since it was thought to "exhilarate
their minds". During the Middle Ages, powdered mint leaves were used to
whiten teeth. Mint tea is a strong diuretic.[citation needed] A
common use is as an antipruritic,
especially in insect bite treatments (often along with camphor).[citation needed] The
strong, sharp flavor and scent of mint is sometimes used as a mild decongestant for illnesses such as the common cold.[citation needed] Mint
is also used in some shampoo products.
Menthol from mint essential oil (40–90%)
is an ingredient of many cosmetics and some perfumes. Menthol and mint essential oil are
also much used in medicine as a component of many drugs, and are very popular
in aromatherapy. Menthol is also used in
cigarettes as an additive, because it blocks out the bitter taste of tobacco
and soothes the throat.
Insecticides
Mint oil is also used
as an environmentally
friendly insecticide for
its ability to kill some common pests like wasps, hornets, ants and
cockroaches.[13]
Room scent and aromatherapy
Known in Greek
mythology as the herb of hospitality,[14] one of mint's first known uses in Europe
was as a room deodorizer.[15] The herb was strewn across floors to cover
the smell of the hard-packed soil. Stepping on the mint helped to spread its
scent through the room. Today, it is more commonly used for aromatherapy
through the use of essential oils.
Diseases
Main article: List of mint diseases
Etymology of "mint"
An example of mint
leaves
Mint descends from
the Latin word mentha,
which is rooted in the Greek word minthe,
personified in Greek mythology as Minthe, a nymph who was transformed into a mint plant. The
word itself probably derives from a now extinct pre-Greek language (see Pre-Greek substrate).[16]
Mint leaves, without
a qualifier like peppermint or apple mint,
generally refers to spearmint leaves.
In Spain, Central and South America, mint is known as hierba buena (literally, "good
herb"). In Lusophonecountries,
especially in Portugal, mint species
are popularly known as Hortelã. In many Indo-Aryan languages,
it is called Pudīna. Telugu: పూదీన.
The taxonomic family
Lamiaceae is known as the mint family. It includes many other
aromatic herbs, including most of the more common cooking herbs, including basil, rosemary, sage, oregano, and catnip.
In common usage,
other plants with fragrant leaves may be called "mint" although they
are not in the Mint Family.
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Vietnamese Mint,
commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine
is Persicaria odorata in
the family Polygonaceae,
collectively known as smartweeds or pinkweeds.
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"Mexican mint marigold" is Tagetes lucida in the sunflower
family (Asteraceae).
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