Biology:Mentha royleana

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Short description: Species of mint

Mentha royleana
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Mentha
Species:
M. royleana
Binomial name
Mentha royleana
Synonyms
  • Mentha longifolia subsp. royleana Col.
  • Benth. Mentha sylvestris var. royleana

Mentha royleana, is a species within the Mentha (mint) genus, native to eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Himalayas and Kashmir.[1] A polymorphic perennial herb, M. royleana has seen diverse uses in traditional medicine.[2][3]

Name

Mentha royleana is known by the English common name of Royle's mint, named for British botanist John Forbes Royle.[4][5] In Pakistan, it is referred to as Jangli podina[6][7] or simply podina or pudina.[8] Other attested regional names include:

Description

Mentha royleana resembles other Mentha species, in particular Mentha longifolia. Like other mints, M. royleana is a perennial plant, reproducing via rhizome, and shares the pungent mint aroma of most of the genus.[2]

It is distinguished from its close relatives by its narrowly oblong-elliptic mostly petiolate leaves, which tend to be discolored.[14] Other authors attest the leaves can occasionally be sessile.[1] Its spikes are more slender, with separated verticillasters and calyces measuring 1.5 to 2 millimeters.[14] Its flowers are small and whitish in color.[4] According to a 2011 study, M. royleana contains a mean 179.2 milligrams of caffeic acid, 46.93 milligrams of rosmarinic acid, 41.76 milligrams of ferulic acid per 100 grams of plant material.[15]

Classification

The Mentha species in general demonstrate a large amount of genetic variation and ease of hybridization, which has made taxonomic distinctions a fraught question.[16][17] In a 2018 analysis, samples of M. royleana from different geographic regions of Pakistan demonstrated the greatest amount of genetic variability among the studied Mentha species.[18] As a result, several varieties have been defined. A 1992 study identified two varieties: var. glabra and var. gilgitica.[16] Botanist Karl Heinz Rechinger recognized three varieties in 1998: var. royleana, var. detonsa (Briquet) and var. afghanica (Murata).[14] A 2018 comparison of random amplification of polymorphic DNA markers differentiated three varieties of M. royleana: var. afghanica, var. royleana, and var. tugidus.[19]

The similarity of M. royleana to other mints has led some authors to even assign it as a mere varietal of M. longifolia.[20][14][2] However, it is currently accepted as a distinct species by authorities such as Plants of the World Online.[21] Studies of populations of M. royleana and M. spicata determined they were genetically distinct enough to justify their separate species classifications.[22] Recent literature continues to call for further investigation to establish M. royleana's true taxonomic status.[23][17]

Distribution and habitat

While Mentha royleana's native distribution is in the region of the Himalayas (including India, Pakistan and Nepal), it is now established throughout Northwest Asia and Europe.[9] It has also been intentionally cultivated in parts of China.[2] It is frequent in wet places, principally at elevations from 9000 to 11000 feet[24] (11,000 or 12,000 feet in another source [25]). Some authors have described it as common,[13] or indeed even "the commonest mint" in Pakistan.[14]

Use

Mentha royleana has been assessed as a plant with a "high use value" in traditional medicine.[26] It has been used to treat a variety of ailments. It is said to be used as a treatment for vomiting, diarrhea, dysentary, and cholera, as well as a general carminative.[27][3][28]

In the Margalla Hills, part of the Himalayan foothills, it is ground with the fruit of Zanthoxylum armatum and combined with salt as a stomach ache cure.[7] Herbal medicine practitioners in Batakundi mixes the leaves of M. royleana into green teas, with cooling and gas relief properties.[8] In Parachinar, the leaves of the plant are sewed into cloth pads and wrapped around babies' chests to relieve flus and chest problems.[10] In the Haramosh valley in Gilgit District, M. royleana is combined with pomegranate, ginger and garlic to produce a juice intended to treat diabetes and heart issues.[29] Combined with Thymus linearis (Himalayan Thyme), it is used to treat high blood pressure and abdominal worms.[29]

Aside from medical use, M. royleana is used to freshen the breath and in the preparation of sauces and salads.[30] The floral shoots of M. royleana are also used in religious ceremonies in Hinduism.[31]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Shinwari & Chaudhri 1992, p. 102.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Magura, Julie. "Royle's Mint". Cornell Botanic Gardens. https://cornellbotanicgardens.org/plant/royles-mint/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Jasbeen et al. 2009, p. 779.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Mentha royleana - Royle's Mint". Flowers of India. https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Royle%27s%20Mint.html. 
  5. ↑ 日本メディカルハーブ協会 (2021-01-14). "ミントの植物学と栽培" (in ja). 日本メディカルハーブ協会. https://www.medicalherb.or.jp/archives/165703. 
  6. ↑ Bibi et al. 2014, p. 356.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Jasbeen et al. 2009, p. 775.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Khan et al. 2013, p. 7.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Abbasi et al. 2011, p. 143.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Ajaib et al. 2014, p. 79.
  11. ↑ Rahman et al. 2019, p. 3.
  12. ↑ Tahira et al. 2011, p. 144.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Akhtar 2014, p. 37.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Nasir & Ali 1990, p. 263.
  15. ↑ Tahira et al. 2011, p. 145.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Shinwari & Chaudhri 1992, p. 97.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Shinwari, Sultan & Mahmood 2011, p. 1435.
  18. ↑ Ahmad et al. 2018, p. 9.
  19. ↑ Ahmad et al. 2018, p. 8.
  20. ↑ Kletter & Kriechbaum 2001, p. 59.
  21. ↑ "Mentha royleana Wall. ex Benth.". Plants of the World Online. http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:451081-1. 
  22. ↑ Shinwari, Sultan & Mahmood 2011, p. 1434.
  23. ↑ Ahmad et al. 2018, p. 6.
  24. ↑ Henderson, Hume & Forsyth 1873, p. 331.
  25. ↑ Stewart 1870, p. 213.
  26. ↑ Bibi et al. 2014, p. 352.
  27. ↑ Rahman et al. 2019, p. 7.
  28. ↑ Ajaib, Khan & Zikrea 2014, p. 13.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Abbas et al. 2019, p. 106.
  30. ↑ Ajaib, Khan & Zikrea 2014, p. 18.
  31. ↑ Pandit 2002, p. 114.

References

  • Data related to Mentha royleana at Wikispecies

Wikidata ☰ Q15344994 entry Template:Mint



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