Corn Mint
Herbaceous perennial that grows from a rhizome (underground horizontal stem).
Leaves are green and ovate or elliptic, having a serrate leaf margin. Small, light purple or white flowers (0.3 – 0.6 cm long) occur in whorls (1 – 2 cm wide).
Flowers are campanulate (shaped like bells, but petals slightly separating at the bottom) and located in the leaf axils (between the base of the leaf and adjacent stem).
Brown fruits are nutlets, each containing a single seed. Nutlets are formed when the seed-bearing structure fragments into one-seeded.
Occurs on moist soil in meadows and near the edge of forests or streams.
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Mentha arvensis L.
COMMON NAME
Corn Mint, European Corn Mint, Wild Mint, Field Mint, Japanese Peppermint, Tule Mint, Brook Mint, 野薄荷, 日本薄荷
CLASSIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS
Plant Division Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon) Plant Growth Form Herbaceous Plant Lifespan (in Singapore) Perennial Mode of Nutrition Autotrophic Maximum Height 0.5 m to 1 m PLANT CARE AND PROPAGATION
Light Preference Full Sun, Semi-Shade Water Preference Moderate Water Maintenance Requirements Low Potential Problems Aggresive growth can overtake a garden plot. Propagation Method Seed, Stem Cutting, Division USES
- The leaves may be eaten raw in salads or used to make tea. The essential oils are used to flavor desserts.
- American Indians used the leaves to prepare medicine for kidney diseases.
- The mint fragrance is a repellant for insects and rodents.
Disclaimer
The information in this website is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.
More information
Caution: Consumption of large quantities of the plant’s essential oil may induce an abortion.
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