ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Mentha arvensis
 
 
 CLASS:    DICOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    LAMIALES
 FAMILY:   LAMIACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Mentha arvensis
 AUTHORITY:  L.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    FIELD MINT
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: MEAR4
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     WETLAND
       BORDER OF LAKE
     CULTURAL
       AGRICULTURAL FIELD
         PASTURELAND
       DEVELOPED LAND
 
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:
     NO
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   CRAWFORD
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Dicot-herb
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Primary   Adventitious   (rhizomes)
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:     Opposite
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Serrate
    LEAF VENATION:  Pinnate
    LEAF SHAPE:     Oblong   Lanceolate   Ovate
    INFLORESCENCE:   Spike
    FLOWER MEROUS:  5
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Complete   Irregular
    FLOWER COLOR:   Red   Violet   White
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Hypogynous
    FRUIT:   Nut
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     Leaf petioles longer than the cluster of flowers; corolla nearly
     regular, arranged in axillary whorls.
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Native
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Rare
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Forb
     LIFE CYCLE:   Perennial
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual   Vegetative
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      7         MONTH END-      9
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     C02 FIXATION:  C3
     SEX:      Perfect
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Waste ground, along ditches.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     GROWTH OF SPECIES IN VARIOUS CONDITIONS:
          GRAVEL         Good               SAND           No data entered
          SANDY LOAM     No data entered    LOAM           No data entered
          CLAY LOAM      No data entered    CLAY           No data entered
          DENSE CLAY     No data entered    ORGANIC SOIL   No data entered
          NEUTRAL pH     No data entered    ACIDIC SOIL    No data entered
          EXTREMELY ACID No data entered    SALINE SOIL    No data entered
          SODIC SOIL     No data entered    SODIC-SALINE   No data entered
          ROCKY OUTCROPS No data entered    GENTLE SLOPES  No data entered
          MODERATE SLOPE No data entered    STEEP SLOPES   No data entered
     HABITAT:   Wet   Moist
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     MYCORRHIZAE:   endomycorrhizal
 
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     EDIBLE:  Yes
     SHOWY FLOWERS:  YES      AMOUNT:  Low
 
     WILD HERBS:   Culinary-flavor
 
 HUMAN FACTOR COMMENTS:
     Leaves used for tea.
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:   No data entered
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     WEEDINESS:   Non-weedy
 
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Mohlenbrock, R. H., ed.  1975.  Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.  494 pp.
Steyermark, J. A.  1963.  Flora of Missouri.  Iowa State University Press, Ames.
     1725 pp.
Gleason, H. A., and A. Cronquist.  1963.  Manual of vascular plants of north-
     eastern United States and adjacent Canada.  Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.,
     New York.  810 pp.
Fernald, M. L.  1950.  Gray's manual of botany.  8th ed.  American Book Co.,
     New York.  1632 pp.
Swink, F., and G. S. Wilhelm.  1979.  Plants of the Chicago region.  Third ed.
     The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois.  922 pp.
Gleason, H. A.  1952.  The new Britton and Brown illustrated flora of the
     northeastern United States and adjacent Canada.  3 vols.  The New York
     Botanical Garden, New York.
Downton, W. J. S.  1975.  The occurrence of C4 photosynthesis among plants.
     Photosynthetica 9(1): 96-105.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Mentha arvensis
 
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 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015