Horse mint

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Horse mint
Horse mint (Mentha longifolia)

Horse mint ( Mentha longifolia )

Systematics
Family : Mint family (Lamiaceae)
Subfamily : Nepetoideae
Tribe : Mentheae
Sub tribus : Menthinae
Genre : Mints ( mentha )
Type : Horse mint
Scientific name
Mentha longifolia
( L. ) Huds.

The Ross mint ( Mentha longifolia ) also called Forest mint , a species in the genus of the mint ( Mentha ) belongs to the family of the mint (Lamiaceae).

description

It is a fast growing, perennial herbaceous plant with a strong flavor. The plants normally reach heights of about 50 centimeters, but under favorable circumstances they can become significantly larger, up to well over 1 meter. The horse mint is best recognized by its elongated oval and short but shaggy haired leaves. The leaves are between 4 and 9 inches long and between 1 and 2 inches wide. Just like the stem, they are short and soft, white, gray or green shaggy. On the edge, the leaves are serrated with teeth pointing forward. The leaves are sitting or have only a very short petiole.

The flowers are pink, in some cases whitish or mauve. At the height of the inflorescence, the stem branches in panicles. Then sit at the Rispenästen the many-flowered Scheinquirlen and form dense appearance ears . The flowering period is from July to September.

The horse mint is non-toxic and edible, but its taste is considered unpleasant.

The horse mint has chromosome numbers 2n = 24, 36 or 48.

Occurrence

The horse mint occurs from the temperate zones of Eurasia to southern Africa. In Central Europe they are particularly common in the low mountain ranges or the lower elevations of the Alps. In the Allgäu Alps, it rises between the Probsthaus and the Nebelhorn in Bavaria to an altitude of 1970 m. In Central Europe it is a character species of the Mentho longifoliae-Juncetum inflexi from the Agropyro-Rumicion association.

It needs wet, nitrogen-rich soil. It therefore likes to grow near rivers or in wet ground depressions, preferably near settlements or agricultural areas. Due to its subterranean root runners, it can, under favorable circumstances, form mass populations.

use

In contrast to other mints, horse mint contains little menthol . Its other ingredients create a taste and smell that some people find unpleasant, sometimes described as petroleum-like , which limits their use as a medicinal plant or culinary herb. In folk medicine , teas made from horse mint are recommended for gastrointestinal complaints and headaches. A pulp made from the leaves is also said to relieve the pain of insect bites.

Systematics

The horse mint was published in Flora Anglica by William Hudson in 1762 . A synonym for Mentha longifolia Huds. is Mentha sylvestris L.

One can distinguish the following subspecies and varieties:

  • Mentha longifolia var. Amphilema Briq. ex Rech.f. : It occurs in Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • Mentha longifolia var. Asiatica (Boriss.) Rech.f. (Syn .: Mentha asiatica Boriss. , Mentha kopetdaghensis Boriss. , Mentha vagans Boriss. ): It occurs from western Asia to western China.
  • Mentha longifolia var. Austroafghanica Rech.f. : It occurs in Afghanistan.
  • Mentha longifolia subsp. capensis (Thunb.) Briq. (Syn .: Mentha capensis Thunb. ): It occurs from Zimbabwe to southern Africa.
  • Mentha longifolia var. Chlorodictya Rech.f. : It occurs from the Caucasus and Western Asia to Central Asia.
  • Mentha longifolia var. Kermamensis Rech.f. : It occurs in Iran.
  • Mentha longifolia var. Kotschyana (Boiss.) Briq. : It occurs in eastern Turkey and Iran.
  • Mentha longifolia subsp. longifolia : It occurs from Macaronesia and Europe to the Himalayas and tropical Africa.
  • Mentha longifolia var. Muqarrabica Shinwari & Chaudhri : It occurs in Pakistan.
  • Mentha longifolia subsp. noeana (Briq.) Briq. : It occurs in Turkey.
  • Mentha longifolia var. Petiolata Boiss. : It occurs in Iraq and Iran.
  • Mentha longifolia var. Schimperi (Briq.) Briq. : It occurs on the Arabian Peninsula and the Sinai Peninsula.
  • Mentha longifolia var. Swatica Shinwari & Chaudhri : It occurs in Pakistan.
  • Mentha longifolia subsp. typhoides (Briq.) Harley : It occurs from the eastern Mediterranean region to Iran.
  • Mentha longifolia subsp. wissii (Launert) Codd (Syn .: Mentha wissii Launert ): It occurs in Namibia and South Africa.

Similar species

Apparently the horse mint is often confused with the green mint (also called spearmint) in vegetation photographs. Andreas Kleinsteuber assumes that the vast majority of the previously assumed occurrences of horse mint in Baden-Württemberg are actually spearmint, while horse mint occurs only rarely. While the appearance of both plants is very similar, the spearmint is most likely to be recognized by the more pleasant taste or smell when the leaves are rubbed. The spearmint smells like chewing gum ("spearmint"), while the horse mint smells unpleasantly of petroleum.

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literature

  • Henning Haeupler, Thomas Muer: picture atlas of the fern and flowering plants of Germany . Ed .: Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (=  The fern and flowering plants of Germany . Volume 2 ). Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2000, ISBN 3-8001-3364-4 .
  • Wolfgang Adler, Karl Oswald, Raimund Fischer: Excursion flora of Austria . Ed .: Manfred A. Fischer. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart / Vienna 1994, ISBN 3-8001-3461-6 .
  • Christian Heitz: School and excursion flora for Switzerland. Taking into account the border areas. Identification book for wild growing vascular plants . Founded by August Binz. 18th completely revised and expanded edition. Schwabe & Co., Basel 1986, ISBN 3-7965-0832-4 .
  • Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora . With the collaboration of Theo Müller. 6th, revised and expanded edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1990, ISBN 3-8001-3454-3 .
  • Konrad von Weihe (ed.): Illustrated flora. Germany and neighboring areas. Vascular cryptogams and flowering plants . Founded by August Garcke. 23rd edition. Paul Parey, Berlin / Hamburg 1972, ISBN 3-489-68034-0 .

Web links

Commons : Rossmint  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas . 8th edition. Stuttgart, Verlag Eugen Ulmer, 2001. Page 817. ISBN 3-8001-3131-5
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rafaël Govaerts (Ed.): Mentha longifolia. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  3. ↑ Erhard Dörr, Wolfgang Lippert : Flora of the Allgäu and its surroundings. Volume 2, IHW, Eching 2004, ISBN 3-930167-61-1 , p. 416.
  4. ↑ Rossmint - Purpose, Edible Parts & Uses. Retrieved on July 11, 2020 (German).
  5. ↑ Rossmint - Use & Treatment for Health | MedLexi.de. Retrieved July 11, 2020 .
  6. ^ William Hudson: Flora Anglica. Self-published, London 1762, p. 221 ( preview in Google book search).
  7. ↑ Mentha longifolia in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
  8. ↑ Andreas Kleinsteuber, Mentha longifolia and Mentha spicata. In: The fern and flower plants of Baden-Württemberg , Volume 5, 1996, ISBN 3-8001-3342-3 , pp. 223-225
  9. ↑ Brigitte Klemme and others, Geliebte Wildkräuterküche. Selected chefs present their best recipes , 2010, ISBN 978-3-517-08586-9 , chapter "Mint"