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Mentha pulegium

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Lamiales Family: Lamiaceae Genus: Mentha

pennyroyal, pueges

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Aromatic, tomentose perennial herbs.

Stems: Stems procumbent to ascending, 1–4 dm long.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades narrowly ovate to narrowly elliptic, 8–30 mm long, 0.4–12 mm wide. Base attenuate. Surfaces pubescent at least on lower surface. Margins subentire or with up to 6 teeth on each side. Sessile or subsessile. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers small, in well-spaced verticillasters in the leaf axils, each flower +/- bracteolate. Calyx actinomorphic, (2–)2.5–3 mm long, campanulate to cylindrical, 10-nerved, 5-toothed, the teeth ciliate, lower ones subulate, upper ones slightly shorter and wider, splitting longitudinally, usually persistent or sometimes only ventral 1/2 persistent. Corolla zygomorphic, slightly bilabiate, funnelform to campanulate, lilac, (4–)4.5–6 mm long, upper lip entire or emarginate, lower lip 3-lobed; nectary disk often present at base of ovary, annular or developed on anterior side only. Stamens 4, exserted beyond to included in corolla tube; anther sacs parallel; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, 2-carpellate, placentation basal-axile; ovules 1 per ovary lobe; style 1; stigmas 2.

Fruit: Nutlets 4; 1-seeded; pale brown; ca. 0.7–0.8 mm long. Seeds with endosperm absent or scanty and oily.

Ploidy: 2n = 10; 20; 30; 40–42; 46

Habitat: Cultivated and escaping from gardens; usually in damp areas.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Synonyms (89)

Calamintha fenzlii Vis. (1855)
Melissa pulegium (L.) Griseb. (1844)
Mentha albarracinensis Pau (1887)
Mentha aromatica Salisb. (1796)
Mentha aucheri Pérard (1878)
Mentha daghestanica Boriss. (1954)
Mentha erinoides Heldr. (1901)
Mentha exigua L. (1756)
Mentha gibraltarica Willd. (1809)
Mentha gryparia Heldr. (1902)
Mentha hirtiflora Opiz ex Heinr.Braun (1890)
Mentha montana Lowe ex Benth. (1848)
Mentha numidica Poir. (1814)
Mentha pulegioides Dumort. (1827)
Mentha pulegium f. alba Rainha (1980)
Mentha pulegium f. albiflora Cheshm. (1977)
Mentha pulegium f. anodonta Topitz (1915)
Mentha pulegium f. brusanensis Topitz (1915)
Mentha pulegium f. cephalonia Heinr.Braun (1890)
Mentha pulegium f. cermatisa Topitz (1915)
Mentha pulegium f. communis Topitz (1915)
Mentha pulegium f. foetida Topitz (1913)
Mentha pulegium f. hellenica Topitz (1915)
Mentha pulegium f. macrostylos Topitz (1913)
Mentha pulegium f. setuligera Topitz (1915)
Mentha pulegium f. sphenoides Topitz (1913)
Mentha pulegium f. stenobasea Topitz (1915)
Mentha pulegium f. strongylophylla Topitz (1913)
Mentha pulegium subsp. cephalonia (Heinr.Braun) Kokkini (1983)
Mentha pulegium subsp. erinoides (Heldr.) Kokkini (1983)
Mentha pulegium subsp. gibraltarica (Willd.) Briq. (1896)
Mentha pulegium subsp. tomentosa (Sm.) Nyman (1881)
Mentha pulegium subsp. vulgaris (Mill.) Briq. (1896)
Mentha pulegium subvar. prostrata (Timb.-Lagr.) Rouy (1909)
Mentha pulegium var. cacocea Topitz (1915)
Mentha pulegium var. cotorensis Topitz (1915)
Mentha pulegium var. erecta (Mill.) Briq. (1891)
Mentha pulegium var. eriantha DC. (1815)
Mentha pulegium var. exigua (L.) Nyman (1881)
Mentha pulegium var. gibraltarica (Willd.) Batt. (1890)
Mentha pulegium var. gigantea Lej. & Courtois (1831)
Mentha pulegium var. heterophylla Boenn. (1824)
Mentha pulegium var. hirsuta Briq. (1891)
Mentha pulegium var. hirtiflora Heinr.Braun (1890)
Mentha pulegium var. humifusa Lej. & Courtois (1831)
Mentha pulegium var. hyperiantha Briq. (1896)
Mentha pulegium var. microphylla Friv. (1835)
Mentha pulegium var. prostrata Timb.-Lagr. (1860)
Mentha pulegium var. pubescens Boenn. (1824)
Mentha pulegium var. pulegioides (Dumort.) Halácsy (1902)
Mentha pulegium var. strongylophylla (Topitz) Topitz (1914)
Mentha pulegium var. subhirsuta Heinr.Braun (1888)
Mentha pulegium var. subtomentella (Heinr.Braun) Topitz (1914)
Mentha pulegium var. thymoides Topitz (1913)
Mentha pulegium var. tomentella (Hoffmanns. & Link) Cout. (1913)
Mentha pulegium var. villosa Benth. (1848)
Mentha pulegium var. vulgaris (Mill.) Briq. (1891)
Mentha subtomentella Heinr.Braun (1890)
Mentha subtomentella var. ceplaloniae Heinr.Braun (1890)
Mentha subtomentella var. humillima Heinr.Braun (1890)
Mentha subtomentella var. microphylla (Friv.) Heinr.Braun (1890)
Mentha tomentella Hoffmanns. & Link (1809)
Mentha tomentosa Sm. (1812)
Mentha tomentosa var. villosa Benth. (1848)
Micromeria dalmatica Fenzl (1856)
Micromeria fenzlii Regel (1867)
Micromeria maritima Yıld., Sadikoglu & M.Keskin (2006)
Minthe pulegia (L.) St.-Lag. (1880)
Pulegium aromaticum Gray (1822)
Pulegium aromaticum var. album Gray (1822)
Pulegium aromaticum var. erectum Gray (1822)
Pulegium daghestanicum (Boriss.) Holub (1977)
Pulegium erectum Mill. (1768)
Pulegium heterophyllum Opiz ex Boenn. (1824)
Pulegium micranthum Claus (1856)
Pulegium pubescens Opiz ex Boenn. (1824)
Pulegium pulegium H.Karst. (1886)
Pulegium tomentellum C.Presl (1826)
Pulegium tomentellum f. erianthum Pérard (1870)
Pulegium tomentellum f. ninimum Pérard (1870)
Pulegium vulgare Mill. (1768)
Pulegium vulgare f. algeriense Pérard (1870)
Pulegium vulgare f. hirsutum Pérard (1870)
Pulegium vulgare f. incanum Pérard (1870)
Pulegium vulgare f. linearifolium Pérard (1870)
Pulegium vulgare f. nummulariuoides Pérard (1870)
Pulegium vulgare f. serratum Pérard (1870)
Satureja fenzlii (Vis.) K.Malý (1908)
Thymus bidentatus Stokes (1812)

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Extirpated

Island Status

O'ahu Extirpated
Maui Potentially naturalizing
Hawai'i Potentially naturalizing

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Specimens

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Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 577 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:807 (M [single coll 1920]); Staples & Herbst 2005:357 (KEY, DESCR)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Mentha pulegium West Ridge of Haipuaena A small patch in a damp shaded pocket along A & B trial Preserved_Specimen Strong mint odor and taste of herbage. Flowers lavender colored. Petals 3 lower spreading, the upper erect, emarginate, united into a tube below. Calyx 5 toothed. Stigma 2 lubed. Fr.pilose. Lvs. opposite. Forbes, C.N. 2633 Maui BISH 1920-06-28
2 Mentha pulegium South Kona, Kealakekua Ranch, Papaloa, garden escape Preserved_Specimen Leaves pungent, gray-green; flowers lavender. Greenwell, A.B.H. 19240 Hawaii BISH 1948-10-01
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