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This species is accepted, and its native range is Africa, Europe to Central Siberia and W. Asia.
Mentha aquatica

[FTEA]

Lamiaceae (Labiatae), A.J. Paton, G. Bramley, O. Ryding, R.M. Polhill, Y.B. Harvey, M. Iwarsson, F. Willis, P.B. Phillipson, K. Balkwill, C.W. Lukhoba, D.F. Otieno, & R.M. Harley. Mentha, RM Harley. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2009

Type
Lectotype, selected by Tucker, Harley & Fairbrothers in Taxon 29: 233–255 (1980): Europe, origin unknown, in Herb. Cliff. (BM!, lecto.)
Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb, 0.5–1.5 m tall, sweetly scented, often purple-tinged, with spreading rhizomes
Morphology Stem
Flowering stems erect, branched, quadrangular, glabrous to pubescent with whitish ± spreading to appressed hairs, and sparse sessile glands
Morphology Leaves
Leaves petiolate; blades lanceolate to lanceolate-ovate, 2.4–6.3 × 1.1–3.6 cm, serrate, acute at apex, truncate to rounded or sometimes cuneate to attenuate at base, glabrous or subglabrous to pubescent with simple hairs on both surfaces, usually hairier on lower surface especially on veins, and with conspicuous sessile glands; petiole 0.5–1.4 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences usually simple, and forming a terminal, often oblong head (thyrse), 1.4–2.3 cm diameter at anthesis, with 1–3 usually distant verticils below, from the axils of leaf-like bracts; upper bracts and bracteoles linear to narrowly linear-lanceolate, 1.5–4 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers pedicellate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx tubular, 2.6–3.7 mm long at anthesis, glabrous to pubescent and with sessile glands, tube conspicuously veined; lobes subequal, narrowly triangular to subulate, acute, (0.5–)0.7–1 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla pale lilac or pink, up to 5 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens usually long-exserted
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Nutlets pale brown, broadly ovoid to subtrigonous, 0.8–0.9 × 0.6–0.7 mm, finely verrucose, rarely shortly hairy toward apex
Figures
Fig 16, p114
Ecology
By water and in marshes; 1100–2150 m (often at lower altitudes in temperate regions)
Conservation
Least concern; widely distributed
Note
Leaf shape is very variable: glabrous specimens and those with rather small, narrow leaves are not uncommon. All specimens examined from the Flora area have hermaphrodite flowers with exserted anthers. Individuals with functionally female flowers, with included stamens, occur widely elsewhere.
Distribution
Range: South through Central Africa to Malawi and South Africa, widely distributed in temperate regions of the Old World, from Europe and N Africa eastwards to the Caucasus and Iran Flora districts: U2 U4 K3 K4 T1 T3 T4 T7

Native to:

Albania, Algeria, Angola, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Botswana, Bulgaria, Cape Provinces, Central European Rus, Corse, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Free State, Føroyar, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Krasnoyarsk, Kriti, Krym, KwaZulu-Natal, Lebanon-Syria, Lesotho, Libya, Madeira, Malawi, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Northern Provinces, Northwest European R, Norway, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Sardegna, Sicilia, South European Russi, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Uganda, Ukraine, West Siberia, Yugoslavia, Zambia

Introduced into:

Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil South, Chile Central, Chile North, Costa Rica, Iceland, Illinois, Juan Fernández Is., Mexico Northwest, New York, St.Helena, Trinidad-Tobago, Wisconsin

Mentha aquatica L. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
Borbas, V. [2571], Hungary K000494819
Waisbecker, A. [2653], Hungary K000494823
Wirtgen, P. [123], Germany K000494826
Borbas, V. [1754], Hungary K000494820
Bornmüller [2167], Hungary K000494824
Wirtgen, P. [123], Germany K000494827
Sole, W. [s.n.] K000494815
Cope, T.A. [RBG 238], United Kingdom K000914349
Borbas, V. [1755], Hungary K000494822
Boutigny, J.F.D. [s.n.], France K000494818
Boutigny, J.F.D. [s.n.] K000494817
Day, C.D. [927], Turkey K000341616
Oborny, A. [1752], Czech Republic K000494821
Barth, J. [s.n.], Switzerland K000494825
Sole, W. [s.n.] K000494816

First published in Sp. Pl.: 576 (1753)

Accepted by

  • Arbo, M.M. & al. (2018). Flora Argentina. Flora vascular de la República Argentina 20(1): 1-488. INTA, IMBIV & IBODA.
  • Castroviejo, S. & al. (eds.) (2010). Flora Iberica 12: 1-650. Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid.
  • Danton, P. & Perrier, C. (2004). Liste de la Flore vasculaire de l'île Robinson Crusoe archipel Juan Fernández, Chili Journal de Botanique Société de Botanique de France 24: 67-78.
  • Dobignard, A. & Chatelain, C. (2012). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 4: 1-431. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Database in ACCESS: 1-216203. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Hammel, B.E. & al. (eds.) (2007). Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica, volumen VI, Dicotyledóneas (Haloragaceae-Phytolaccaceae) Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 111: 1-933.
  • Hedberg, I., Kelbessa, E., Edwards, S., Demissew, S. & Persson, E. (eds.) (2006). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 5: 1-690. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
  • Lambdon, P. (2012). Flowering plants & ferns of St Helena: 1-624. Pisces publications for St Helena nature conservation group.
  • Malyschev, L.I. (ed.) (2006). Flora of Siberia 11: 1-310. Scientific Publishers, Inc., Enfield, Plymouth.
  • Mohlenbrock, R.H. (2014). Vascular Flora of Illinois. A Field Guide, ed. 4: 1-536. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.
  • Paton, A.J., Bramley, G., Ryding, O., Polhill, R., Harvey, Y., Iwarsson, M., Willis, F., Phillipson, P., Balkwill, K., Lukhoba, C., Otiend, D & Harley (2009). Lamiaceae (Labiatae) Flora of Tropical East Africa: 1-430.
  • Van Heurck, H. & De Beucker, J.I. (1861). Antwerpsche Analytische Flora 1: 1-192. Drukkerij der weduwe Jos. Van Ishoven, Antwerpen.
  • Werier, D. (2017). Catalogue of the Vascular plants of New York state Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club 27: 1-542. New York Botanical Garden.

Literature

Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

  • ColPlantA (2021). "ColPlantA. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; http://www.colplanta.org/"

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots' Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.
  • Chadde, S.W. (2019). Wisconsin Flora ed. 2: 1-818. Steve W. Chadde.
  • Danton, P. & Perrier, C. (2004). Liste de la Flore vasculaire de l'île Robinson Crusoe archipel Juan Fernández, Chili Journal de Botanique Société de Botanique de France 24: 67-78.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Garcillán, P.P. & al. (2013). Plantas no nativas naturalizadas de la península de Baja California, México Botanical Sciences 91: 461-475.
  • Hammel, B.E. & al. (eds.) (2007). Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica, volumen VI, Dicotyledóneas (Haloragaceae-Phytolaccaceae) Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 111: 1-933.
  • Lambdon, P. (2012). Flowering plants & ferns of St Helena: 1-624. Pisces publications for St Helena nature conservation group.
  • Malyschev, L.I. (ed.) (2006). Flora of Siberia 11: 1-310. Scientific Publishers, Inc., Enfield, Plymouth.
  • Mohlenbrock, R.H. (2014). Vascular Flora of Illinois. A Field Guide, ed. 4: 1-536. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.
  • Paton, A.J., Bramley, G., Ryding, O., Polhill, R., Harvey, Y., Iwarsson, M., Willis, F., Phillipson, P., Balkwill, K., Lukhoba, C., Otiend, D & Harley (2009). Lamiaceae (Labiatae) Flora of Tropical East Africa: 1-430.
  • Paton, A.J., Bramley, G., Ryding, O., Polhill, R.M., Harvey, Y.B., Iwarsson, M., Otieno, D., Balkwill, K., Phillipson, P.B., Harley, R.M. & Willis, F. (2013). Flora Zambesiaca 8(8): 1-346. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Urgamal, M., Oyuntsetseg, B., Nyambayar, D. & Dulamsuren, C. (2014). Conspectus of the vascular plants of Mongolia: 1. Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany.
  • Werier, D. (2017). Catalogue of the Vascular plants of New York state Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club 27: 1-542. New York Botanical Garden.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Benth., Lab. Gen. Sp.: 176 (1833)
  • DC., Prodr. 12: 170 (1848)
  • E & P., Pf. IV. 3a: 320 (1896)
  • F.S.A. 28(4): 111 (1985)
  • Fl. Eth. 5: 552 (2006).
  • Sp. Pl.: 576 (1753)
  • U.K.W.F. ed. 2: 288, t. 127 (1994)

Flora of Tropical East Africa
Flora of Tropical East Africa
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kew Backbone Distributions
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2021. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2021. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Kew Science Photographs
Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/