Spearmint
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Spearmint (Mentha spicata), also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint,<ref name="Seidemann2005">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> is native to Europe and southern temperate Asia, extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is naturalized in many other temperate parts of the world, including northern and southern Africa, North America, and South America.<ref name=j>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=w>Template:Cite web</ref> It is used as a flavouring in food and herbal teas. The aromatic oil, called oil of spearmint, is also used as a flavoring and sometimes as a scent.
The species and its subspecies have many synonyms, including Mentha crispa, Mentha crispata, and Mentha viridis.
Description
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Spearmint is a perennial herbaceous plant. It is Template:Cvt tall, with variably hairless to hairy stems and foliage, and a wide-spreading fleshy underground rhizome from which it grows. The leaves are Template:Cvt long and Template:Cvt broad, with a serrated margin. The stem is square-shaped, a defining characteristic of the mint family of herbs. Spearmint produces flowers in slender spikes, each flower pink or white in colour, Template:Cvt long and broad.<ref name=w/><ref name=rhs>Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan Template:ISBN.Template:Page needed</ref> Spearmint flowers in the summer (from July to September in the northern hemisphere),<ref name=":02">Template:Cite journal</ref> and has relatively large seeds, which measure Template:Cvt.<ref name=":02" /> The name ''spear'' mint derives from the pointed leaf tips.<ref name=turner>Turner, W. (1568). Herbal. Cited in the Oxford English Dictionary.</ref>
Mentha spicata varies considerably in leaf blade dimensions, the prominence of leaf veins, and pubescence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Taxonomy
[edit]Mentha spicata was first described scientifically by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.<ref name="POWO" /> The epithet spicata means 'bearing a spike'.<ref name=Stea04p499>Template:Cite book p. 499.</ref> The species has two accepted subspecies, each of which has acquired a large number of synonyms:<ref name="POWO">Template:Cite POWO</ref><ref name="POWO subsp condensata" /><ref name="POWO subsp spicata" />
- Mentha spicata subsp. condensata (Briq.) Greuter & Burdet – eastern Mediterranean, from Italy to Egypt
- Mentha spicata subsp. spicata – distribution as for the species as a whole
Origin
[edit]The plant is an allopolyploid species (2n = 48),<ref name="Kadereit-2004">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Harley-Brighton-1977">Template:Cite journal</ref> which could be a result of hybridization and chromosome doubling. Mentha longifolia and Mentha suaveolens (2n = 24) are likely to be the contributing diploid species.<ref name=":02" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=TuckNacz07/>
Hybrids
[edit]Mentha spicata hybridizes with other Mentha species, forming hybrids such as:<ref name=TuckNacz07>Template:Cite book</ref>
- Mentha × piperita (hybrid with Mentha aquatica), black peppermint, hairy peppermint
- Mentha × gracilis (hybrid with Mentha arvensis), Scotch spearmint
- Mentha × villosa (hybrid with Mentha suaveolens)
Varieties and cultivars
[edit]There are several commonly available<ref name=RHS>Royal Horticultural Society plant finder and selector https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/search-results?form-mode=true&query=Mentha%20spicata</ref> varieties and cultivars of Mentha spicata:
- M. spicata var. crispa (syn. M. spicata 'Crispa') – with very crinkled leaves.<ref name=RHS />
- M. spicata var. crispa 'Moroccan' – with crinkled leaves and white flowers.<ref name=RHS />
- M. spicata 'Tashkent' – with slightly crinkled leaves.<ref name=RHS />
- M. spicata 'Spanish' – with mauve-pink flowers.<ref name=RHS />
History and domestication
[edit]Mention of spearmint dates back to at least the 1st century AD, with references from naturalist Pliny and mentions in the Bible.<ref name=":12">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":13">Template:Cite web</ref> Further records show descriptions of mint in ancient mythology.<ref name=":13" /> Findings of early versions of toothpaste using mint in the 14th century suggest widespread domestication by this point.<ref name=":13" /> It was introduced into England by the Romans by the 5th century, and the "Father of British Botany", of the surname Turner, mentions mint as being good for the stomach.<ref name=":13" /> John Gerard's Herbal (1597) states that: "It is good against watering eyes and all manner of break outs on the head and sores. "It is applied with salt to the biting of mad dogs," and that "They lay it on the stinging of wasps and bees with good success." He also mentions that "the smell rejoices the heart of man", for which reason they used to strew it in chambers and places of recreation, pleasure, and repose, where feasts and banquets are made."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Spearmint is documented as being an important cash crop in Connecticut during the period of the American Revolution, at which time mint tea was noted as being a popular drink due to it not being taxed.<ref name=":12" />
Ecology
[edit]Spearmint can readily adapt to grow in various types of soil. Spearmint tends to thrive with plenty of organic material in full sun to part shade. The plant is also known to be found in moist habitats such as swamps or creeks, where the soil is sand or clay.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Spearmint ideally thrives in soils that are deep, well-drained, moist, rich in nutrients and organic matter, and have a crumbly texture. The pH range should be between 6.0 and 7.5.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Diseases and pests
[edit]Fungal diseases
[edit]Fungal diseases are common diseases in spearmint. Two main diseases are rust and leaf spot. Puccinia menthae is a fungus that causes the disease called "rust". Rust affects the leaves of spearmint by producing pustules inducing the leaves to fall off. Leaf spot is a fungal disease that occurs when Alternaria alernata is present on the spearmint leaves. The infection looks like circular dark spot on the top side of the leaf. Other fungi that cause disease in spearmint are Rhizoctonia solani, Verticillium dahliae, Phoma strasseri, and Erysiphe cischoracearum.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Nematode diseases
[edit]Some nematode diseases in spearmint include root knot and root lesions. Nematode species that cause root knots in this plant are various Meloidogyne species. The other nematode species are Pratylenchus which cause root lesions.<ref name=":2" />
Viral and phytoplasmal diseases
[edit]Spearmint can be infected by tobacco ringspot virus. This virus can lead to stunted plant growth and deformation of the leaves in this plant. In China, spearmint have been seen with mosaic symptoms and deformed leaves. This is an indication that the plant can also be infected by the viruses, cucumber mosaic and tomato aspermy.<ref name=":2" />
Cultivation and harvest
[edit]Spearmint grows well in nearly all temperate climates.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gardeners often grow it in pots or planters due to its invasive, spreading rhizomes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Spearmint leaves can be used fresh, dried, or frozen.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The leaves lose their aromatic appeal after the plant flowers. It can be dried by cutting just before, or right (at peak) as the flowers open, about one-half to three-quarters the way down the stalk (leaving smaller shoots room to grow).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Some dispute exists as to what drying method works best; some prefer different materials (such as plastic or cloth) and different lighting conditions (such as darkness or sunlight). The leaves can also be preserved in salt, sugar, sugar syrup, alcohol, or oil.
Oil uses
[edit]Spearmint is used for its aromatic oil, called oil of spearmint. The most abundant compound in spearmint oil is R-(–)-carvone, which gives spearmint its distinctive smell. Spearmint oil also contains significant amounts of limonene, dihydrocarvone, and 1,8-cineol.<ref name="Hussain, et al">Template:Cite journal</ref> Unlike oil of peppermint, oil of spearmint contains minimal amounts of menthol and menthone. It is used as a flavouring for toothpaste and confectionery, and is sometimes added to shampoos and soaps.
Traditional medicine
[edit]Spearmint has been used in traditional medicine.<ref name=":1" />
Insecticide and pesticide
[edit]Spearmint essential oil has had success as a larvicide against mosquitoes. Using spearmint as a larvicide would be a greener alternative to synthetic insecticides due to their toxicity and negative effect to the environment.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Used as a fumigant, spearmint essential oil is an effective insecticide against adult moths.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Antimicrobial research
[edit]Spearmint has been used for its supposed antimicrobial activity, which may be related to carvone.<ref name=":8">Template:Cite journal</ref> Its in vitro antibacterial activity has been compared to that of amoxicillin, penicillin, and streptomycin.<ref name=":8" /> Spearmint oil is found to have higher activity against gram-positive bacteria compared to gram-negative bacteria in vitro,<ref name=":8" /> which may be due to differing sensitivities to oils.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Beverages
[edit]Spearmint leaves are infused in water to make spearmint tea. Spearmint is an ingredient of Maghrebi mint tea. Grown in the mountainous regions of Morocco, this variety of mint possesses a clear, pungent, but mild aroma.<ref name="Richardson2014">Template:Cite book</ref> Spearmint is an ingredient in several cocktails, such as the mojito and mint julep. Sweet tea, iced and flavored with spearmint, is a summer tradition in the Southern United States.
Gallery
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Mentha spicata
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Plant in flower
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Flowers
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White flowering whorls of a spearmint plant
