Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Mentha x piperita
Common name
Peppermint (var. citrata, var. piperita)
Eau de Cologne Mint, Bergamot Mint (var. citrata)
Family
Lamiaceae
Where found
Wet forest, along streams, in swamps, and other moist and wet sites. Canberra and Queanbeyan. Tablelands and ranges. Coastal north of Mogo. Rarely elsewhere.
Notes
Introduced perennial herb to 0.8 m high, frequently rooting at the nodes, often rhizomatous. Stems 4-angled, hairless or with a few scattered hairs, often tinged purple or reddish. Leaves aromatic when rubbed, smelling of lemon, eau de cologne, or peppermint. Leaves opposite each other, 1.5–9 cm long, 10–30 mm wide, hairless or with scattered hairs, tips pointed or rarely blunt; margins toothed. Flowers mauve to pink, 5–6 mm long, tubular, with 4 lobes 1–1.5 mm long, vaguely 2-lipped. Flower clusters round to oval, 1.5–6 cm long, dense, many-flowered. Flowering: December–May.
var. citrata: Leaves broader, 2–9 cm long; youngest leaves often with a red margin, bases abruptly tapered, or squared off to cordate. Leaves somewhat lemon-scented, reminiscent of 'Eau de Cologne'. Inflorescence of 1 or more distinct globular clusters, to 2 cm long. Anthers protruding beyond the corolla.
var. piperita: Leaves narrower, to 7 cm long, bases wedge-shaped. Leaf odour pungent, peppermint. Inflorescence cylindrical, spike-like, to 6 cm long, with flower clusters becoming separated. Anthers not protruding beyond the corolla.
PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Mentha~x+piperita (accessed 25 January, 2021)
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