Jepson Herbarium
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University of California, Berkeley
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Vascular Plants of California
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Mentha spicata

SPEARMINT


Higher Taxonomy
Family: Lamiaceae (Labiatae)View DescriptionDichotomous Key
Common Name: MINT FAMILY
Habit: Annual to shrub [tree, vine], glabrous to hairy, generally aromatic. Stem: generally erect, generally 4-angled. Leaf: generally simple to deeply lobed, generally opposite, generally gland-dotted. Inflorescence: generally cymes, generally many in dense axillary clusters surrounding stem, generally separated by evident internodes or collectively crowded, spike- or panicle-like, occasionally head-like or raceme, subtended by leaves or bracts; flowers sessile or pedicelled. Flower: generally bisexual; calyx generally 5-lobed, radial to bilateral; corolla generally bilateral, 1--2-lipped, upper lip entire or 2-lobed, +- flat to hood-like, occasionally 0, lower lip generally 3-lobed; stamens generally 4, epipetalous, generally exserted, paired, pairs generally unequal, occasionally 2, staminodes 2 or 0; ovary superior, generally 4-lobed to base chambers 2, ovules 2 per chamber, style 1, generally arising from center at junction of lobes, stigmas generally 2. Fruit: generally 4 nutlets, generally ovoid to oblong, smooth.
Genera In Family: +- 230 genera, 7200 species: worldwide. Many cultivated for herbs, oils (Lavandula, lavender; Mentha, mint; Rosmarinus, rosemary; Thymus, thyme), some cultivated as ornamental (in California Cedronella, Leonotis, Monarda, Phlomis). Note: Moluccella laevis L., shell flower, historical waif in California. Satureja calamintha (L.) Scheele subsp. ascendens (Jordan) Briq. reported as alien but not naturalized. Salazaria moved to Scutellaria; California Hyptis moved to Condea, California Satureja moved to Clinopodium.
eFlora Treatment Author: Dieter H. Wilken & Margriet Wetherwax, family description, key to genera, except as noted
Scientific Editor: Douglas H. Goldman, Bruce G. Baldwin.
Genus: MenthaView DescriptionDichotomous Key


Common Name: MINT
Habit: Perennial herb from rhizomes, glabrous to hairy. Stem: generally ascending to erect, generally branched. Leaf: petioled to sessile; blade elliptic to ovate or lanceolate, toothed to lobed. Inflorescence: head-like in leaf axils or collectively spike- or panicle-like and subtended by bracts. Flower: calyx +- radial, generally 10-veined, lobes 4--5, equal or not; corolla +- 2-lipped, lips generally equal, upper lip notched, lower lip 3-lobed; stamens 4, +- equal, generally exserted, filaments glabrous, anthers segments parallel, distinct. Fruit: nutlets +- ellipsoid, tip rounded.
Etymology: (Latin: ancient name for mint) Note: Cultivated for oils, flavoring, herbs. Hybrids in California generally sterile, spreading from rhizomes.
Unabridged Note: Many cultivated and naturalized populations derived from hybridization, generally polyploid, some sterile, reproducing vegetatively.
eFlora Treatment Author: Arthur O. Tucker
Reference: Tucker et al. 1980 Taxon 29:233--255
Mentha spicata L.
NATURALIZED
Stem: 3--10(12) dm, glabrous. Leaf: 1--6 cm, petiole 0--2 mm; blade lanceolate to lance-oblong, smooth to wrinkled, base rounded to obtuse, tip acute to acuminate, generally serrate. Inflorescence: spike-like, bracts subtending flower clusters ovate to lance-linear. Flower: calyx 1.5--2.5 mm, generally glabrous; corolla 3--4 mm, white to pink or lavender. Chromosomes: 2n=48.
Ecology: Moist places, marshes, lakeshores, fields; Elevation: < 2350 m. Bioregional Distribution: CA; Distribution Outside California: to eastern United States; native to Europe. Flowering Time: Jul--Oct Note: Male-sterile plants indistinguishable from Mentha ×villoso-nervata Opiz with 2n=36, a hybrid of Mentha spicata × Mentha longifolia; native to Europe.
Jepson eFlora Author: Arthur O. Tucker
Reference: Tucker et al. 1980 Taxon 29:233--255
Index of California Plant Names (ICPN; linked via the Jepson Online Interchange)

Previous taxon: Mentha ×smithiana
Next taxon: Mentha suaveolens


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Citation for this treatment: Arthur O. Tucker 2012, Mentha spicata, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=33209, accessed on December 03, 2024.

Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) 2024, Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/, accessed on December 03, 2024.

Mentha spicata
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©2009 Barry Breckling
Mentha spicata
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©2015 Barry Breckling
Mentha spicata
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©2008 Keir Morse
Mentha spicata
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©2008 Keir Morse
Mentha spicata
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©2005 George W. Hartwell

More photos of Mentha spicata
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Geographic subdivisions for Mentha spicata:
CA
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map of distribution 1

(Note: any qualifiers in the taxon distribution description, such as 'northern', 'southern', 'adjacent' etc., are not reflected in the map above, and in some cases indication of a taxon in a subdivision is based on a single collection or author-verified occurrence).






 

Data provided by the participants of the  Consortium of California Herbaria.

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All markers link to CCH specimen records. The original determination is shown in the popup window.
Blue markers indicate specimens that map to one of the expected Jepson geographic subdivisions (see left map). Purple markers indicate specimens collected from a garden, greenhouse, or other non-wild location.
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CCH collections by month Flowering-Fruiting Monthly Counts

Duplicates counted once; synonyms included.
Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa, if there are more than 1 infraspecific taxon in CA.
Blue line denotes eFlora flowering time (fruiting time in some monocot genera).