Mentha alaica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Mentha
Species:
M. alaica
Binomial name
Mentha alaica

Mentha alaica is a mint species within the genus Mentha, native to the Pamir-Alay mountain range within Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.[1][2] The species was recorded by Russian botanist Antonina Borissova in 1954.[3]

Taxonomy

While it is accepted as a distinct species by authorities such as Plants of the World Online,[4] some authors have treated Mentha alaica as simply a synonym of Mentha longifolia.[5][6]

Description

A perennial species, Mentha alaica grows to a height of 1 meter, and propagates via creeping rhizomes.[1] It produces large oblong-lanceate leaves up to 10 centimeters long.[7]

Use

Mentha alaica has been used in various formulations in Traditional Chinese Medicine.[8] As an ingredient within this tradition, it is believed to "dispel pathogenic heat and wind."[9] Under the common name Hortelã, M. alaica was reported used as an herbal medicine in Brazil to treat nausea, as well as digestive and kidney problems.[10]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Borissova 1977, p. 442.
  2. "Mentha alaica". International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  3. "Mentha alaica Boriss., Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. 16: 283 (1954)". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  4. "Mentha alaica Boriss". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  5. Quattrocchi 2016, p. 2472.
  6. Wiart 2020, p. 516.
  7. Borissova 1977, p. 430.
  8. Lin et al. 2017, p. 234.
  9. Chang Chen 2017, p. 63.
  10. Lima et al., p. 7.

References

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