'''Mentha''' ('mint') is a
genus of about 25
species (and many hundreds of
varieties[1]) of
flowering plants in the
family Lamiaceae. Species within Mentha have a
subcosmopolitan distribution across
Europe,
Africa,
Asia,
[2] Australia, and
North America. Several mint
hybrids commonly occur.
Mints are aromatic, almost exclusively
perennial, rarely
annual,
herbs. They have wide-spreading underground
rhizomes and erect, branched stems. The
leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, from simple
oblong to
lanceolate, often downy, and with a serrated margin. Leaf colors range from dark green and gray-green to purple, blue and sometimes pale yellow.
[3]
Species
This covers a selection of what are considered to be pure species of mints. As with all classifications of plants, this list can go out of date at a moment's notice. Listed here are accepted species names and common names (where available). Synonyms, along with
cultivars and varieties (where available), are listed under the species.
Selected hybrids
The mint family has a large grouping of recognized hybrids. As with all classifications of plants, this list can go out of date at a moment's notice. Synonyms, along with cultivars and varieties where available, are included within the specific species.
★ ''Mentha × gracilis'' - Ginger Mint
★ ''Mentha × piperita'' – Peppermint
★ ''Mentha × rotundifolia'' (''M. longifolia'' × ''M. suaveolens'') - False Apple-mint
★ ''Mentha × smithiana'' (''M. aquatica'' × ''M. arvensis'' × ''M. spicata'') - Red Raripila Mint
★ ''Mentha × villosa'' (''M. spicata'' × ''M. suaveolens''; syn. ''M. cordifolia'') - Apple-mint
★ ''Mentha × villosonervata'' (''M. longifolia'' × ''M. spicata'') - Sharp-toothed Mint |
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
[4]. 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
4.
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
4; 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)
pineapple mint (''Mentha suaveolens'').
Mints tend to make good
companion plants, repelling pest insects and attracting beneficial ones. The common mints, like spearmint and peppermint, are considered good to grow among tomato and pepper plants, where they enhance flavor, repel aphids, attract parasitic wasps to eat caterpillars, provide "living mulch" ground cover, etc.
Chamomile is thought to make a good companion plant for mint, as well as increasing essential oil in mints, making them "stronger" in scent and flavor.
Harvesting of mint leaves can be done at anytime. 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.
[5]
Uses
Culinary
Mint Leaves
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.
5 The leaves have a pleasant 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 cuisines, mint is used on lamb dishes.
[6] In
British cuisine,
mint sauce is popular with lamb.
Mint is a necessary ingredient in
Touareg tea, a popular tea in northern African and Arab countries.
Alcoholic drinks sometimes feature flavor of mint, namely the
Mint Julep and the
Mojito.
Mint
essential oil and menthol are extensively used as flavorings in breath fresheners, drinks,
antiseptic mouth rinses,
toothpaste,
chewing gum and desserts/
candies; ''see''
mint (candy) and
mint chocolate. The substances that give the mints their characteristic aromas and flavors are:
★
menthol: the main aroma of Spearmint, Peppermint, and Japanese Peppermint (a major commercial source).
★
pulegone: in Pennyroyal and Corsican Mint.
Methyl salicylate, commonly called "oil of wintergreen", is often used as a mint flavoring for foods and candies due to its mint-like flavor.
Mints are used as food plants by the
larvae of some
Lepidoptera species including
Buff Ermine.
Medicinal and cosmetic
Mint was originally used as a medicinal herb to treat stomach ache and chest pains. During the
Middle Ages, powdered mint leaves were used to whiten teeth. Mint tea is a strong
diuretic. Mint also aids
digestion.
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.
A common use is as an
antipruritic, especially in insect bite treatments (often along with
camphor).
It is also used in cigarettes as an additive, because it blocks out the bitter taste of tobacco and soothes the throat.
Many people also believe the strong, sharp flavor and scent of Mint can be used as a mild decongestant for illnesses such as the
common cold.
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'. Some modern research suggests that he was right.
Pragmatic
Mint leaves are often used by many campers to repel mosquitoes. It is also said that extracts from mint leaves have a particular mosquito-killing capability.
Mint oil is also used as an environmentally-friendly
insecticide for its ability to kill some common pests like
wasps,
hornets,
ants and
cockroaches.
Diseases
Origin and usage of the word ''mint''
Mint descends from the
Latin word ''mentha'', which is rooted in the
Greek word ''minthe''.
Minthe has linguistic connections to a woman of the same name in
Greek Mythology.
[7]
Mint leaves, without a qualifier like ''peppermint'' or ''apple mint'', generally refers to
spearmint leaves.
In
Central and
South America, mint is known as ''yerbabuena'' (literally, "good herb"). In the
Hindi and
Urdu languages it is called ''Pudeena''.
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.
As an English colloquial term, 'mint' stands for any small sugar confectionery item flavored to taste like the aforementioned plant.
1
In common usage, several other plants with fragrant leaves may be erroneously called a mint.
Vietnamese Mint, commonly used in
Southeast Asian cuisine, is not a member of the 'mint family' (taxonomic family Lamiaceae).
Slang
In the south west of the United Kingdom, used adjectivally, the word can be used as a term of approbation or to express delight, as in "tha's mint, tha' is..."
References
1. The Oxford Companion to Food, , Alan, Davidson, Oxford University Press, 1999,
2. The American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, , Christopher, Brickell, DK Publishing, Inc., 1997,
3. The flowers are produced in clusters ('verticils') on an erect spike, white to purple, the corolla two-lipped with four subequal lobes, the upper lobe usually the largest. The fruit is a small dry capsule containing 1–4 seeds.
While the species that make up the Mentha genus are widely distributed and can be found in many environments, many grow best in wet environments and moist soils. Mints will grow 10–120 cm tall and can spread over an indeterminate sized area. Due to the tendency to spread unchecked, mints are considered invasive.[ The American Horticultural Society: Encyclopedia of Plants & Flowers, , Christopher, Brickell, DK Publishing, Inc., 2002, ]
4. Rodale's All-new Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, , Fern, Bradley, Rodale Press, 1992,
5. The Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices & Flavorings, , Elisabeth, Ortiz, Dorling Kindersley, 1992,
6. http://www.mccormick.com/content.cfm?id=10076 McCormick's EnSpicelopedia
7. CRC World dictionary of plant names: Common names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Sonyonyms, and Etymology, , Umberto, Quattrocchi, CRC Press, 1947-,
External links
★
Mentha/Mentha oil as a commodity traded in India
★
Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Mentha''
★
Flora Europaea: ''Mentha''
★
Flora of China: ''Mentha''
★
Medicinal use of mint in Armenia
★
United States Department of Agriculture (Online Reference)
★
Botanical.com entry on Mint
★
Plants For a Future: Mentha genus search page
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