Royle's Mint   

Mentha royleana Lamiaceae

Growth habit

Herbaceous

Perennation

Perennial

Native distribution

Himalayas

Biocultural value

Foliage has a pungent mint aroma.

Location

Robison Herb Garden

Source of plant

US Botanic Garden

Description

Plants rhizomatous, perennial. Stems erect, to 1 m, much branched, whitish, striate, retrorse short tomentose-villous. Leaf blade ovate to oblong-lanceolate, to 6 — 1.5 cm, appressed tomentose-villous, subglabrescent, base rounded to shallow cordate, margin coarsely irregular serrate-dentate, apex acute. Verticillasters in cylindric terminal spikes 3-8 cm, lower ones somewhat lax; floral leaves linear-subulate, mostly shorter than verticillasters. Pedicel to 2 mm. Calyx campanulate, ca. 2 mm, tomentose-villous, obscurely 5-veined; teeth linear-subulate, ca. 1 mm, close together in fruit. Corolla purplish, ca. 4 mm, sparsely puberulent; tube ca. 2 mm, gradually dilated upward; lobes oblong, obtuse; upper lobe oblong-ovate, emarginate. Ovary glabrous. Fl. Jul-Sep.Nanjing Shi, Shanghai Shi, and other cities [Russia; SW Asia, Europe]Cultivated in China. A polymorphic aromatic herb used medicinally.Mentha asiatica, M. vagans, and the Himalayan M. royleana Bentham all are very closely related to and perhaps doubtfully distinct from M. longifolia. Further work is needed to fully assess their correct status.

USDA Hardiness Zone

5

Special characteristics

fragrance