Mentha ×piperita L.
peppermint
Rhizomatous perennial; stems glabrous or sparsely hairy, to 60 cm or more tall, often submerged; aerial stems erect, often purple. Lvs very variable, petiolate; lamina 1-6 × 1-3.5 cm, lanceolate-elliptic, elliptic, oblong-ovate, ovate, or suborbicular, aerial lvs somewhat rugose, serrate, hairy or glabrous; base cuneate to rounded; apex sharply acute. Infl. of a terminal, ± rounded head and 1-3 distinct verticels of shortly pedicellate fls below, or an oblong spike, sometimes with 1-4 distinct verticels below, often glabrous except for calyx teeth. Calyx 3-4 mm long, tubular, purple, dotted with oil glands; teeth equal, ciliate, narrow-acuminate, much < tube at anthesis. Corolla 5-6 mm long, mauve or lilac, glabrous; tube exserted. Stamens small, included. Nutlets not formed.
Key
FL Jan-May.
M. × piperita is a hybrid of M. aquatica L. and M. spicata. In N.Z. there are 2 distinct forms of this hybrid growing wild.
