Biology:Mentha × wirtgeniana
| Mentha × wirtgeniana | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Genus: | Mentha |
| Species: | M. × wirtgeniana
|
| Binomial name | |
| Mentha × wirtgeniana F.W.Schultz[1]
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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Mentha × wirtgeniana, known as tall mint, is a hybrid mint species within the genus Mentha, native to Europe.[1][3] It was first described in 1854.[1]
Description
Mentha × wirtgeniana is a perennial plant that can grow up to about 1 metre tall.[2]
Taxonomy
Mentha × wirtgeniana was first described by Friedrich Wilhelm Schultz in 1854. It was later often treated as a variety or subspecies of Mentha × rubra, but is accepted as a full hybrid species by Plants of the World Online as of November 2025[update].[1] It is a hybrid between M. spicata (spearmint) and M. × verticillata,[4] itself a hybrid between M. aquatica and M. arvensis,[5] and often arises spontaneously in the presence of both parents.[4][2]
Distribution
Mentha × wirtgeniana is native to Europe from France to Romania. It has been introduced elsewhere, including Great Britain and Ireland, Greece, Cape Verde, and Nova Scotia.[1]
Cultivation and uses
It is a moderately cold-hardy, fast-growing, plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -20°C when fully dormant.[2]
This hybrid is occasionally cultivated in European gardens, displayed for aromatic purposes, though it has a low essential oil content.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Mentha × wirtgeniana F.W.Schultz | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science" (in en). http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:451345-1.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Mentha × wirtgeniana - Useful Temperate Plants". https://temperate.theferns.info/plant/Mentha+%C3%97+wirtgeniana.
- ↑ "Tall Mint (Hybrid Mentha × wirtgeniana)" (in en-GB). https://uk.inaturalist.org/taxa/1149360-Mentha---wirtgeniana.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Mentha aquatica x arvensis x spicata = M. x smithiana". https://bsbi.org/taxa/2cd4p9h.900/mentha-aquatica-x-arvensis-x-spicata-m-x-smithiana.
- ↑ "Mentha × verticillata L." (in en). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/451306-1.
Wikidata ☰ Q137169142 entry Template:Mint
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