Mentha x piperita (Pepper mint)

Mentha x piperita – (Pepper mint)

Perennial herb of the Mint family – labiatae – up to 90 cm. Erect, quadrangular stems, with reddish tones, especially in the variety Mentha x pipertita var. rubescens, clearer than Mentha xpiperita var. palescens. Quite narrow and lengthened leaves, petiolated, oval or lanceolate, glabrous or slightly pubescent, acute and toothed, with patent nervation below, brilliant upwards. Reddish flowers, purple or violet with stamens inserted in the calyx. Flowers in spikes longer than wider, with quite separate whorls. Tubular, glabrous calyxesexcept in the teeth. Fruits in achenes. Itblooms from the middle to the end of summer.

Itis a hybrid between Mentha aquaticaand Mentha spicata. It is only know as a cultivated plant in gardens or orchards, although sometimes itescapes towards the fields grows wildly in deep, rich in humus and quite humid soils. Itcan be easily foundall though the world, preferring temperate climates to warm or cold ones. In Europe, although itis missing to Scandinavia, itis quite abundant, especially the variety Mentha x pipertita var. rubescens.