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

[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.)
Habit
Perennial herb, 0.5–1.5 m tall, sweetly scented, often purple-tinged, with spreading rhizomes
Stem
Flowering stems erect, branched, quadrangular, glabrous to pubescent with whitish ± spreading to appressed hairs, and sparse sessile glands
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
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
Flowers
Flowers pedicellate
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
Corolla
Corolla pale lilac or pink, up to 5 mm long
Stamens
Stamens usually long-exserted
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

Mentha aquatica L. appears in other Kew resources:

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

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.
  • 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.
  • Mohlenbrock, R.H. (2014). Vascular Flora of Illinois. A Field Guide, ed. 4: 1-536. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.
  • Dobignard, A. & Chatelain, C. (2012). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 4: 1-431. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • Lambdon, P. (2012). Flowering plants & ferns of St Helena: 1-624. Pisces publications for St Helena nature conservation group.
  • Castroviejo, S. & al. (eds.) (2010). Flora Iberica 12: 1-650. Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid.
  • 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.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • 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.
  • Malyschev, L.I. (ed.) (2006). Flora of Siberia 11: 1-310. Scientific Publishers, Inc., Enfield, Plymouth.
  • 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.
  • Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Database in ACCESS: 1-216203. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Van Heurck, H. & De Beucker, J.I. (1861). Antwerpsche Analytische Flora 1: 1-192. Drukkerij der weduwe Jos. Van Ishoven, Antwerpen.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Mohlenbrock, R.H. (2014). Vascular Flora of Illinois. A Field Guide, ed. 4: 1-536. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.
  • Urgamal, M., Oyuntsetseg, B., Nyambayar, D. & Dulamsuren, C. (2014). Conspectus of the vascular plants of Mongolia: 1. Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany.
  • Garcillán, P.P. & al. (2013). Plantas no nativas naturalizadas de la península de Baja California, México Botanical Sciences 91: 461-475.
  • 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.
  • Lambdon, P. (2012). Flowering plants & ferns of St Helena: 1-624. Pisces publications for St Helena nature conservation group.
  • 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.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • 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.
  • Malyschev, L.I. (ed.) (2006). Flora of Siberia 11: 1-310. Scientific Publishers, Inc., Enfield, Plymouth.
  • 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.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

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

Flora of Tropical East Africa
Flora of Tropical East Africa
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Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
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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
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