Monarda fistulosa var. menthifolia L.
Lamiaceae (Mint family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Ashley Churchill     (Photo ID #16944)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Monarda fistulosa var. menthifolia
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Species Information

General:
Perennial herb from a creeping rhizome; finely-hairy throughout, rarely with longer spreading hairs; stems erect, simple or branched above, 30-70 cm tall, 4-angled.
Leaves:
All stem leaves; opposite, lanceolate to broadly egg-shaped, 2.5-8 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, more or less sharply toothed; stalks to 1.5 cm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a single, large, terminal, head-like cluster, closely surrounded by leaf-like bracts; corollas tubular, 2.5-3.5 cm long, purple, finely-hairy, strongly 2-lipped, the upper lip narrow and arc-shaped and bearded at tip, the lower lip spreading and 3-lobed; calyces tubular, 7-11 mm long, the teeth only 1 mm long, the opening white-hairy within and sometimes also outside, 15-veined.
Fruits:
Nutlets, 4 clustered together, oblong, smooth.
Notes:
Two sympatric varieties occur in BC:

1. Leaves with stalks to 1.5 cm long; stems usually branched above................ var. mollis (L.) Benth.

1. Leaves with stalks less than 0.5 cm long; stems usually simple.................. var. menthaefolia (Grah.) Fern.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat and Range

Mesic to dry shrublands, meadows and open forests in the steppe and lower montane zones; frequent in BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains; N to NT, E to PQ, and S to GA and MX.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia