Arthur O. Tucker

  18 species: temperate. North America, Eurasia. (Latin: ancient name for mint) [Tucker et al. 1980 Taxon 29:233–255] Cult for oils, flavoring, herbs. Hybrids in California generally sterile, spreading from rhizomes.
  1. Calyx interior with ring of hairs; vegetative stems decumbent, flowering stems upright ..... M. pulegium
1' Calyx interior glabrous or hairs few, scattered; both vegetative and flowering stems upright
   2. Inflorescence generally axillary
3. All leaves ± equal in size, blade generally ovate, generally spicy-scented ..... M. arvensis
3' Leaves reduced in size distally, blade generally linear to lanceolate, generally pennyroyal- or spearmint-scented
   4. Leaves gradually reduced distally on stem, generally pennyroyal-scented ..... M. canadensis
   4' Leaves greatly reduced distally on stem, generally spearmint-scented (fruit-scented)
5. Calyx 1.5–3 mm, lobes triangular ..... M. ×gracilis
5' Calyx 2.5–4 mm, lobes sharply tapering ..... M. ×smithiana
   2' Inflorescence terminal
6. Inflorescence generally head-like, clustered at distal 3–5 nodes
   7. Blade generally ovate, generally lavender- and citrus-scented ..... M. aquatica
   7' Blade ovate to lanceolate, generally peppermint- or spearmint-scented (lavender and citrus) ..... M. ×piperita
6' Inflorescence spike-like
   8. Leaves wrinkled
9. Blade lance-oblong, glabrous (branched-hairy abaxially), spearmint-scented ..... M. spicata (2)
9' Blade ovate, with scattered many-branched hairs abaxially, fruit-scented ..... M. suaveolens
   8' Leaves not wrinkled, occasionally deeply veined
10. Blade lanceolate to lance-oblong
   11. Blade widest near middle, hairs unbranched; fertile anthers ± 0.3–0.4 mm; generally musty-scented ..... M. longifolia
   11' Blade widest near base, occasionally branched-hairy abaxially; fertile anthers ± 0.4–0.5 mm; generally spearmint-scented ..... M. spicata (2)
10' Blade oblong to ovate
   12. Calyx ciliate; fertile anthers 4; leaf blade base tapered to ± lobed; corolla 2.5–3.5 mm; Great Central Valley, Central Coast, Transverse Ranges ..... M. ×rotundifolia
   12' Calyx generally canescent; fertile anthers generally 0; leaf blade base tapered; corolla 3–4 mm; Transverse Ranges ..... M. ×villosa
 
 

1. Menta, Mentha × piperita L.

Mentha piperita, comúnmente llamada menta piperita, piperita, monte yuyo o toronjil de menta, es un híbrido estéril obtenido del cruce de la menta acuática (Mentha aquatica) y la hierbabuena (Mentha spicata), que quizá ocasionalmente se produce espontáneamente en las regiones templadas de Europa. Por su riqueza en componentes aromáticos se cultiva artificialmente desde el siglo XVII, cuando por primera vez se obtuvo de manera controlada en Inglaterra. trópicos.org incluye numerosas variedades. Se considera sinónimo Mentha citrata Ehrh. en Hickman, J. C. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California.
Otros nombres comunes: la bo he (Pinyin, China) y pepper mint (English, Canada).

Stems erect-ascending, 30-100 cm tall, branched, purple-red, glabrous or angles sparsely minutely hispid. Petiole 1-2 mm, purple; leaf blade lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 2.5-3 × 0.8-2 cm, glabrous or abaxially minutely hispid on veins, densely glandular, base rounded to shallow cordate, margin unequally acute serrate, apex acute. Verticillasters in cylindric terminal spikes, interrupted at base; bracts linear-lanceolate, slightly longer than calyx, ciliate. Pedicel ca. 1 mm. Calyx tubular, tinged purple, puberulent or subglabrous, glandular outside; teeth 5, linear-subulate, ca. 1 mm, ciliate. Corolla white, tinged red on lobes, ca. 4 mm, tube nearly as long as calyx; lobes subequal, upper emarginate. Nutlets brown, obovoid, ca. 0.7 mm, apex glandular.
 

2. Hierbabuena, Mentha spicata L.

En realidad hierbabuena puede referirse al nombre común de varias plantas:

• Mentha aquatica.
• Mentha arvensis.
• Mentha longifolia.
• Mentha pulegium.
• Mentha spicata (la hierbabuena común o menta verde).
• Mentha suaveolens.

 
Hierba buena, hierbabuena china, hierbabuena de menta, hierbabuena de olor, malva, menta, menta inglesa, yerbabuena. Estado de México: chits-aná (mazahua); Guerrero: kallowena (náhuatl); Oaxaca: ujts aay.
Otros nombres comunes: "Menta" (Peru), liu lan xiang (Pinyin, China), spear mint (English, Canada) o spearmint (English, United States).

Herbs stoloniferous. Stems erect, 40-130 cm, glabrous or subglabrous, striate. Leaves sessile or subsessile, ovate-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 3-7 × 1-2 cm, base broadly cuneate to rounded, margin irregularly serrate, apex acute. Verticillasters in cylindric terminal spikes 4-10 cm, spikes interrupted at base; bracteoles linear, 5-8 mm. Pedicel ca. 2 mm. Calyx campanulate, ca. 2 mm, glandular, obscurely 5-veined; teeth triangular-lanceolate, ca. 1 mm. Corolla purplish, ca. 4 mm, glabrous, tube ca. 2 mm; lobes subequal, apex emarginate. Ovary brown, glabrous.