Peppermint is a general term for the genus Mint/Mentha of the family Lipaceae, and although there are not many species, the classification has long been controversial due to the diversity of intraspecific morphologies and the easy interspecific hybridization. In the past, it was thought that there were about 15 species, but it has been further subdivided into about 30 species (24 acceptable names in the Plants of the World Online), and the artificial cultivars and hybrids are more dazzling like the crucian carp across the river. This article introduces common species and varieties for vanilla lovers.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="16" > the three most widely cultivated species</h1>
Figure 1.1 Mint
1. Peppermint/M. canadensis, widely spread in north and south, wild cultivation. There are two types of purple stems and green stems, the leaves are narrow and long, the leaf surface is flat, and there is a distinct petiole; the flowers are dark purple or lilac, and the inflorescences of the umbels are born in the leaf axils, spaced far up and down, and do not densely form spike-like inflorescences at the top of the stem. Enriched with menthol and menthol, it has a "cooling feeling" in the mouth. Young stems and leaves can be used as vegetables, such as hanging batter fried, known as "fried mint fish", crispy skin, fragrant entrance, cooking enthusiasts may wish to try it.
Figure 1.2 Mint
Figure 1.3 Mint
Peppermint in China has a long history of cultivation, a wide variety of varieties, only peppermint production province Jiangsu has dragon brain peppermint, red leaf stinky head, white leaf stinky head, large leaf green seed, small leaf yellow seed and other old varieties, mainly used for the production of peppermint oil, menthol and other products, now these "earthy" names in today's network almost no sense of existence, can not find detailed information. There are many varieties of potted mint that are popular on the market, but most of them are other species of mint, and the mint buddha-figure is called "earth mint", which seems to be a bit off the table.
Fig. 2.1 Spearmint
Fig. 2.2 Wrinkled leaf spearmint
2, spearmint / M. spicata, also known as green mint, native to southern Europe, domestic cultivation or escape to wild. The main differences with peppermint are three: (1) the leaves are nearly oblong (the leaves of the native species are extremely narrow and long), sessile or nearly sessile, bright green, and the surface is not as flat as mint; (2) the inflorescence of the umbrella is born at the top of the stem and branches, forming a panicle-like inflorescence, which is never like this; (3) contains parsley, limonene, very few mentholone and menthol, has a special aroma, no coolness in the entrance, and the taste is significantly different from that of mint.
Fig. 2.3 Wrinkled leaf spearmint
Fig. 2.4 Wrinkled leaf spearmint
More commonly in life is the wrinkled leaf spearmint/M. spicata 'crispata', a cultivar of spearmint that is sometimes considered a separate species. The leaf type varies greatly, with different lengths and short tips, but the leaf surface style is uniform, wrinkled and wavy, and the veins are obviously concave. It can be used to make tea, prepare cocktails, etc., and is often used as a seasoning or directly eaten as a vegetable in China, which is especially popular in Yunnan and other places. In addition, Dutch mint/M. spicata 'Spear' is also a cultivated variety of spearmint, and the foliage is also wrinkled.
Figure 2.5 The "ten coriander" taken by netizens is very similar to the wrinkled leaf spearmint
According to the article "Investigation and Utilization of Germplasm Resources of Henan Coriander", the ten coriander that Henan people love to eat is also a spearberry. The level of the paper is average, and there is nothing new about picking up people's teeth, but the classification and identification of ten coriander is still generally credible, and the author must have seen ten coriander with his own eyes, not too outrageous. Most of the pictures of "ten coriander" taken and posted by netizens on the Internet are indeed spearmint or wrinkled leaf spearmint, but some are more like spicy mint or other species, the details are unknown.
Figure 3.1 Spicy mint
3. Peppermint/M. X piperita, a hybrid of watermint/M. aquatica and spearmint, native to Europe. The flowers are similar to spearmint, with the inflorescence forming a dense spike-like inflorescence at the top of the branches; the leaves have short petioles, while spearmint has none or near none; and the essential oil of peppermint is rich in menthol, menthol and isomentholone, and is basically free of parsley and limonene, which is more like peppermint. In addition, it also contains caryophyllene, β-pinene and limonene, with a pepper flavor, also known as peppermint, peppermint.
Fig. 3.2 Leaves of various varieties of spicy mint
Fig. 3.3 Grapefruit mint with a little fluff on the leaves
Fig. 3.4 Chocolate mint
Fig. 3.5 Peppermint/'Lavandula'
Spicy mint is the most commercial and horticultural application of peppermint, a variety of varieties, leaves grow as you like, everything, the taste is also different depending on the variety, accurate identification is difficult, there is no need to drill the horn tip. The mint varieties sold by merchants, such as candy mint /'Candy', cologne mint/'Citrata', lavender mint/'Lavandula', chocolate mint/'Chocolate', grapefruit mint/'Grapefruit', etc., should be varieties of spicy mint, and it is difficult to say whether the goods are right or wrong.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="18" > other types of mint</h1>
Figure 4.1 Apple mint
Fig. 4.1 Pineapple mint
4, apple mint / M. suaveolens, FOC called round leaf mint, native to Central Europe, China introduced cultivation. The leaves are usually sessile, round, ovate or oblong-ovate, with sparse hairs on the surface, a bit of a "hairy, fleshy" feeling; the inflorescence of the umbel is densely packed into a cylindrical spike-like inflorescence at the tip of the stem and branches, and the lower 1-2 inflorescences are often intermittent. There is also a variety of spotted leaves with wide milky white spots on the leaf margins, trade name pineapple mint/var. variegata。 It can be eaten, raw and cooked.
Fig. 5.1 Labial calyx mint
Fig. 5.2 Labial calyx mint
Figure 5.3 Champagne mint
5. Labial calyx mint/M. pulegium, sometimes transliterated as pre-mint, native to Central Europe and West Asia, introduced and cultivated in China. The leaves have short stalks, the leaves are ovoid or ovate, and the inflorescences are far away from each other, giving the feeling of "section by section", and the style is more unique in the genus Peppermint. Champagne mint/'Champagne' is a cultivar of labial mint with a champagne-like smell, the color of the stems varies with the seasons, it may turn purple-red at low temperatures, and turn bluish-green in mid-summer.
Figure 6.1 Omentum menthol
Figure 6.3 Silver mint
6, peppermint / M. longifolia, native to Europe, as an aromatic and medicinal plants widely cultivated, China has introduced. The stem is erect, multi-branched, up to 100 cm tall; the leaves are sessile or the lower leaves have short stalks, oval to oblong lanceolate or lanceolate, the surface is sparsely hairy at the beginning of the birth, and then gradually shed and nearly glabrous, the leaf back is densely hairy; the inflorescence of the umbel is gathered at the stem and the tip of the branch to form a cylindrical apex sharp spike-like inflorescence. There is a cultivar silver mint/'Silver' with a densely covered leaf covered with white villi.
Figure 7.1 Corsican mint
7, Corsica mint / M. reguienii, native to Corsica and other places. Creeping herb, usually grown on a slippery slope, has leaves 2–7 mm long and no more than 10 cm tall, with one or two small peanuts in the leaf axils, and does not like to pile up like other mint flowers. Shade-resistant and pedaling, it can be cultivated as a paved plant, and when you step on it, it will emit a mint fragrance, "stepping on the flowers to return to jiojio incense", which is excellent (it seems a little cruel). It can also be used for cooking seasoning, the taste is soft, and it can be ground into a sauce with branches and leaves.
Figure 9.1 Water mint
Figure 9.2 Water mint
Figure 9.3 Lemon mint
Figure 9.4 Lemon mint
8. Water mint/M. aquatica, native to Europe, prefers humid environments and is often grown near water or in water. The stem is green or purple, glabrous or hairy, the leaves are ovate or ovate lanceolate, green or purple, and the umbel inflorescence is densely packed into spike-like inflorescences at the tips of the stem and branches, and the flower spikes are short, like a "head". Lemon mint/M. citrata in FOC, also known as lemon spearmint, should be a cultivated variety of water mint according to new research, which is said to have a lemon aroma. A variety called "citrus mint" also belongs to this species.
Figure 9.1 Field mint
Figure 9.2 Field mint
Figure 9.3 Banana mint
Figure 9.4 Banana mint
9, field mint / M. arvensis, this Latin name was once used to refer to the domestic wild mint or mint, still in use, but neither the "Flora of China" nor FOC include this species, generally believed to be produced in Europe, there is no wild in China. The plant morphology is very similar to mint/M. canadensis, and it is difficult to distinguish by appearance alone, as if there are more hairs on the leaves of field mint. There is a cultivar of banana mint/'Banana', which has a banana flavor.
Figure 10.1 Ginger mint
Figure 10.2 Ginger mint
10. Hybrids of Ginger Mint/M. × gracilis, Field Mint/M. Arvensis and Spearmint/M. Spicata, Vietnamese Mint, Scottish Mint (misguided scientific name M. ×Racilis, in fact, it is written one less g) is also it, it is said to have a slight ginger flavor, hence the name. The appearance and inflorescence of the plant resemble mint, and the chemical composition and smell are said to be more like spearmint, and the more detailed Chinese information is unknown. If you want to accurately identify, I am afraid that you have to taste the taste of ginger or not.
OK, let's introduce these 10 kinds, only a small part of the cultivation of peppermint, has made me dizzy. Peppermint plant traits are changeable, there are many subspecies, varieties, varieties, etc., professional identification should be distinguished by the details of flowers and fruits, only look at the branches and leaves are similar, it is difficult to distinguish. Again, this article is for reference only, just to broaden your horizons.