| jojoj18. 01. 2016 00:49:59 |
Water mint - Mentha aquatica
If I say two or three more things about water mint, the old annoying hag will give it a rest and leave space for other topics.
This is the second plant I stumbled upon when entering the "hribi" portal so let me list some arguments that the plant at Karera I already commented on is not water mint but something else.
Brief description: water mint - Mentha aquatica (L.)
The calyx is densely short-hairy outside.
The inflorescence is terminal, more or less uniform, composed of strongly approximated false whorls whose supporting leaves are equally long or shorter than the inflorescences – barely noticeable (and much smaller than stem leaves), and is head-shaped (spherical at the top) less than 2x as long as wide. There can also appear 1-2 inflorescences from false whorls under the main inflorescence in the axils of upper leaves.
Stem leaves are always distinctly petiolate with 15-25 mm long petiole possibly short-hairy on both sides or almost glabrous above.
It is a plant 15-50 cm tall with dwarfs that are leafy in water and thrives only on wet sites, often marshy or occasionally flooded. (not just moist)
Mints from the M. x piperita agg. group (aggregate – group) for example have inflorescences 2-4 x as long as wide. Calyx is glabrous or sparsely hairy outside. Leaves can be glabrous or strongly hairy, petiolate with petiole shorter than 15 mm.
Mints from the M. spicata agg. group have terminal inflorescences more than 4x as long as wide and can be uniform or multiply interrupted, leaves mostly sessile only lower ones short-petiolate.
Regarding mints with elongated conical inflorescences which I already commented on, let me say that mints as a whole are quite a demanding genus for determination, especially the M. spicata agg. group with elongated pointed inflorescences. Due to great variability within the species themselves and numerous interspecific hybrids which may or may not be fertile and reproduce vegetatively.
For illustration let me write that among them are e.g.: M. spicata; M. longifolia, M. x rotundifolia, M. x villosa, M. suaveolens, M. microphylla ("x" in the name means it's a hybrid), and more could be found.
The next group of mints are mints with interrupted inflorescences – composed of false whorls in the axils of stem leaves (inflorescence supporting leaves) at the nodes of which the pennyroyal (or pennyroyal mint) M. pulegium is relatively easily recognizable with supporting leaves approximately the same size or only slightly longer than the inflorescence. Other mints from this group including field mint M. arvensis have supporting leaves of inflorescences much longer than the inflorescences. M. arvensis stands out a bit, which is normally fertile with developed stamens and campanulate calyx barely visibly veined, others have aborted stamens and calyces with strongly prominent veins.
I will repeat the same request as with Scopolijev grint. Here too it would be nice if the moderator or author changes the title in published photos from Mentha aquatica to Mentha spicata agg.
All to prevent incorrect names from spreading and creating confusion among nature lovers.
jojoj
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