MENTHA PULEGIUM

Family and Genus:- See- LABIATAE/Sect. PULEGIUM

Common Names:- Pennyroyal

Homotypic Synonyms:- Melissa pulegium, Mentha aromatica, Mentha

pulegium subsp. vulgaris, Mentha pulegium var. vulgaris, Minthe pulegia

Pulegium vulgare.

Meaning:- Mentha (Gr) A name used by Pliny for mint.

Pulegium (L) Flea-dispeller, Roman naturalist and natural philosopher

Pliny's name for a plant whose burning leaves kill fleas.

General description:- Perennial with a far-creeping rhizome, whole plant sub-

glabrous to grey-tomentose, strongly pungent.

Stems:-

1) Ascending to erect, 10-40 cm, sparingly branched, with scale-like leaves below.

Leaves:-

1) Middle and upper cauline, short-petiolate, blade usually narrowly obovate, entire

or shallowly dentate.

2) Floral leaves, like the cauline but smaller.

Flower:-

1) Verticillasters, several, many-flowered, distinctly separated, forming a long,

nanow spike.

2) Calyx, (2-)2·5-3 mm, hairy in the throat, weakly 2-lipped with unequal teeth. the

lower subulate.

3) Corolla, 4.5-6 mm, pinkish-mauve to lilac.

4) Stamens, slightly exserted..

Fruit:-

1) Nutlets, 0·75 mm, pale brown.

Key features:-

1) Stems, not mat-forming, though sometimes procumbent.

2) Leaves, 8-30 mm; hairy at least beneath.

3) Corolla, 4-6 mm.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Seasonally wet meadows, lake margins, coastal habitats, fallow fields

and dolines. 0-800(-1300) m.

Distribution:- Widespread throughout the Mediterranean but scarce in the N.

Mediterranean area. Sparsely scattered across Crete.

Flowering time:- May-Sept.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton