Mentha aquatica L.
water mint (lemon mint)
Lamiaceae (Mint family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
water mint (lemon mint)
Lamiaceae (Mint family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from a creeping rhizome; stems erect, 15-90 cm tall, simple or branched, 4-angled; strongly lemon-scented, but not pungent.
Leaves:
Opposite, usually egg-shaped, 2-6 (9) cm long, 1-4 cm wide, more or less hairy, toothed, tips pointed or rounded, bases wedge-shaped to somewhat lobed; stalked.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of a terminal head of 1 to 3 flower clusters and usually 1 to 3 axillary flower clusters below; lower bracts leaf-like, upper lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, hidden by the flowers; flower stalks hairy; corollas tubular, light purple, 4-lobed, the lobes nearly equal; calyces bell-shaped, nearly equally 5-toothed, hairy.
Fruits:
Nutlets, 4 clustered together, egg-shaped.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Wet to moist riverbanks and shorelines in the lowland zone; rare in SW BC, known only from the lower Fraser Valley; introduced from Europe.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Mentha piperi var. citrata (Ehrh.) Boivin (pro nm.)
Mentha aquatica var. crispa (L.) Benth.
Mentha citrata
Mentha crispa L.
Mentha dumetorum Schult.
Mentha piperata subsp. citrata
Mentha piperita subsp. citrata (Ehrh.) Briq.
Mentha var. citrata