Mentha longifolia L. Huds. (Lamiaceae)
| ENG | horsemint |
| SK | mäta dlholistá |
| CZ | máta dlouholistá |
| PL | mięta długolistna |
| HU | lómenta, hosszúlevelű menta |
Using
Horsemint contains essential oils 0.23-2.03% (trans-piperitone oxide, linalool, piperitone), flavonoids, phenolic acids. Whole plant, leaves or essential oil are used for flavouring, perfumery, and pharmaceuticals. It can be used in medicine internally as a tea to aid digestion, stimulant carminative herb with a spearmint-like scent. It can also be used externally to fight skin problems such as dandruff. Horsemint has an antimicrobial and antioxidant activity.
It is used mainly in Asian, Middle Eastern, and Greek cuisine. And also similarly to spearmint in Indian chutneys. Leaves are being candied. Horsemint essential oil works as an insecticide.
| I. | II. | III. | IV. | V. | VI. | VII. | VIII. | IX. | X. | XI. | XII. | |||||||||||||
| Sowing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Planting | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Propagation/ Vegetative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Harvest | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Botanical description and occurrence:
Mentha longifolia originates from Europe, West Asia, Central Russia, Caucasus and South Africa. It present almost throughout the entire Czech Republic. Horsemint can be found on the banks of rivers and springs, in ditches and on wet meadows.
It is a very variable herbaceous perennial plant with a peppermint-scented aroma. Like many mints, it has a creeping rhizome, with erect to creeping stems 80–150 cm tall. The leaves are oblong-elliptical to lanceolate, toothed, 5–10 cm long and 1.5–3 cm broad, thinly to densely tomentose, green to greyish-green above and white below. The flowers are 3–5 mm long, lilac, purplish, or white, produced in dense clusters (verticillasters) on tall, branched, tapering spikes; flowering from May till September. It spreads via rhizomes to form clonal colonies.
Mentha longifolia is propagated mainly vegetatively from cuttings, rhizomes or generative.
Why to have the plant in your garden:
Leaves or whole plant is used as a medicinal plant. Leaves are suitable for cooking. Flowering stems can be used in flower arranging for creating bouquets and wreaths. It is an invasive plant in the garden.
Text:
Dr. Jarmila Neugebauerová, Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic
Photo:
Dr. Jarmila Neugebauerová, Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic
Links to scientific articles (if it is possible):
