Lamiaceae
Mentha

Mentha aquatica L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 576 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Africa, Europe to Central Siberia and W. Asia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is used as a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Distribution

Native to:

Albania, Algeria, Angola, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Botswana, Bulgaria, Cape Provinces, Central European Russia, Corse, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East European Russia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Free State, Føroyar, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Krasnoyarsk, Kriti, Krym, KwaZulu-Natal, Lebanon-Syria, Lesotho, Libya, Madeira, Malawi, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Northern Provinces, Northwest European Russia, Norway, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Sardegna, Sicilia, South European Russia, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Uganda, Ukraine, West Siberia, Yugoslavia, Zambia

Introduced into:

Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil South, Chile Central, Chile North, Costa Rica, Iceland, Illinois, Juan Fernández Is., Maryland, Mexico Northwest, New York, St.Helena, Trinidad-Tobago, Wisconsin

Synonyms

Homotypic Synonyms

Heterotypic Synonyms

Classification

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Publications

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

  • Arbo, M.M. & al. (2018). Flora Argentina. Flora vascular de la República Argentina 20(1): 1-488. INTA, IMBIV & IBODA.
  • Castroviejo, S. & al. (eds.) (2010). Flora Iberica 12: 1-650. Real Jardín Botánico, CSIC, Madrid.
  • Danton, P. & Perrier, C. (2004). Liste de la Flore vasculaire de l'île Robinson Crusoe archipel Juan Fernández, Chili. Journal de Botanique Société de Botanique de France 24: 67-78.
  • Dobignard, A. & Chatelain, C. (2012). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 4: 1-431. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola. Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Database in ACCESS: 1-216203. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Hammel, B.E. & al. (eds.) (2007). Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica, volumen VI, Dicotyledóneas (Haloragaceae-Phytolaccaceae). Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 111: 1-933. Missouri Botanical Garden.
  • Hedberg, I., Kelbessa, E., Edwards, S., Demissew, S. & Persson, E. (eds.) (2006). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 5: 1-690. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
  • Knapp, W.M. & Naczi, R.F.C. (2021). Vascular plants of Maryland, USA. A comprehensive account of the state's botanical diversity. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 113: 1-151.
  • Lambdon, P. (2012). Flowering plants & ferns of St Helena: 1-624. Pisces publications for St Helena nature conservation group.
  • Malyschev, L.I. (ed.) (2006). Flora of Siberia 11: 1-310. Scientific Publishers, Inc., Enfield, Plymouth.
  • Mirek, Z., Piękoś-Mirkowa, H., Zając, A. & Zając, M (2020). Vascular plants of Poland an annotated checklist: 1-526. W. Szafer institute of botany, Polish academy of sciences, Krakow, Poland.
  • Mohlenbrock, R.H. (2014). Vascular Flora of Illinois. A Field Guide, ed. 4: 1-536. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.
  • Muer, T., Sauerbier, H. & Cabrara Calixto, F. (2020). Die Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Madeiras: 1-792. Verlag und Versandbuchhandlung Andreas Kleinsteuber.
  • Paton, A.J., Bramley, G., Ryding, O., Polhill, R., Harvey, Y., Iwarsson, M., Willis, F., Phillipson, P., Balkwill, K., Lukhoba, C., Otiend, D & Harley (2009). Lamiaceae (Labiatae). Flora of Tropical East Africa: 1-430.
  • Schäfer, H. (2021). Flora of the Azores a field guide: 1-445. Margraf Publishers GmbH.
  • Stace, C. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles ed. 4: 1-1266. C & M Floristics.
  • Van Heurck, H. & De Beucker, J.I. (1861). Antwerpsche Analytische Flora 1: 1-192. Drukkerij der weduwe Jos. Van Ishoven, Antwerpen.
  • Werier, D. (2017). Catalogue of the Vascular plants of New York state. Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club 27: 1-542. New York Botanical Garden.

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.
  • Chadde, S.W. (2019). Wisconsin Flora ed. 2: 1-818. Steve W. Chadde.
  • Danton, P. & Perrier, C. (2004). Liste de la Flore vasculaire de l'île Robinson Crusoe archipel Juan Fernández, Chili. Journal de Botanique Société de Botanique de France 24: 67-78.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola. Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Garcillán, P.P. & al. (2013). Plantas no nativas naturalizadas de la península de Baja California, México. Botanical Sciences 91: 461-475.
  • Hammel, B.E. & al. (eds.) (2007). Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica, volumen VI, Dicotyledóneas (Haloragaceae-Phytolaccaceae). Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 111: 1-933. Missouri Botanical Garden.
  • Knapp, W.M. & Naczi, R.F.C. (2021). Vascular plants of Maryland, USA. A comprehensive account of the state's botanical diversity. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 113: 1-151.
  • Lambdon, P. (2012). Flowering plants & ferns of St Helena: 1-624. Pisces publications for St Helena nature conservation group.
  • Malyschev, L.I. (ed.) (2006). Flora of Siberia 11: 1-310. Scientific Publishers, Inc., Enfield, Plymouth.
  • Mohlenbrock, R.H. (2014). Vascular Flora of Illinois. A Field Guide, ed. 4: 1-536. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.
  • Paton, A.J., Bramley, G., Ryding, O., Polhill, R., Harvey, Y., Iwarsson, M., Willis, F., Phillipson, P., Balkwill, K., Lukhoba, C., Otiend, D & Harley (2009). Lamiaceae (Labiatae). Flora of Tropical East Africa: 1-430.
  • Paton, A.J., Bramley, G., Ryding, O., Polhill, R.M., Harvey, Y.B., Iwarsson, M., Otieno, D., Balkwill, K., Phillipson, P.B., Harley, R.M. & Willis, F. (2013). Flora Zambesiaca 8(8): 1-346. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Ryabinina, Z.N. & Knyazev, M.S. (2009). Opredelitel sosudistykh rastenii Orenburgskoi oblasti: 1-757. Moskva: KMK.
  • Stace, C. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles ed. 4: 1-1266. C & M Floristics.
  • Urgamal, M., Oyuntsetseg, B., Nyambayar, D. & Dulamsuren, C. (2014). Conspectus of the vascular plants of Mongolia: 1. Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany.
  • Werier, D. (2017). Catalogue of the Vascular plants of New York state. Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Club 27: 1-542. New York Botanical Garden.

Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

  • Burkill HM. (1995). The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vols. 1-3. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vols 1-3.
  • Diazgranados et al. (2021). Catalogue of plants of Colombia. Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia project. In prep.
  • Diazgranados, M., Allkin, B., Black N., Cámara-Leret, R., Canteiro C., Carretero J., Eastwood R., Hargreaves S., Hudson A., Milliken W., Nesbitt, M., Ondo, I., Patmore, K., Pironon, S., Turner, R., Ulian, T. (2020). World Checklist of Useful Plant Species. Produced by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity.
  • FPI (2021). Food Plants International. https://fms.cmsvr.com/fmi/webd/Food_Plants_World?homeurl=https://foodplantsinternational.com/plants/
  • GBIF.org (2021). GBIF species matching tool. https://www.gbif.org/tools/species-lookup
  • GRIN (2021). Germplasm Resources Information Network from the United States Department of Agriculture. https://www.ars-grin.gov/
  • IUCN (2021). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2021-2. https://www.iucnredlist.org.
  • Medicinal Plant Names Services (MPNS) v.10 (2021); http://mpns.kew.org/
  • PROTA (2021). Plants Resources of Tropical Africa. https://prota4u.org/database/
  • RBG, Kew (2021). Kew Economic Botany Collection. https://ecbot.science.kew.org/
  • Willis, K.J. (ed.) (2017). State of the World’s Plants 2017. Report. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Benth., Lab. Gen. Sp.: 176 (1833)
  • DC., Prodr. 12: 170 (1848)
  • E & P., Pf. IV. 3a: 320 (1896)
  • F.S.A. 28(4): 111 (1985)
  • Fl. Eth. 5: 552 (2006).
  • Sp. Pl.: 576 (1753)
  • U.K.W.F. ed. 2: 288, t. 127 (1994)

Other Data

Other Kew resources that provide information on this taxon:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Jun 30, 2021 Rees, MM; Gori, BML; Rivas-Ferreiro, M; Masters, LE [MMR10] United Kingdom K001291809 No
Wirtgen, P. [123] Germany K000494827 Unknown Type Material Yes
Fishwick, R.W. [3] Iran K005093603 Yes
Bornmüller [2167] Hungary K000494824 Unknown Type Material Yes
Davis [13930] Türkiye K005093611 Yes
Pedersen, T.M. [5752] Denmark K001873146 No
Bornmüller, J. [2616] Türkiye K005093613 Yes
Meyers, F.S.; Dinsmore, J.E. [2235] Israel K005093607 Yes
Furse, P. [9067] Iran K005093600 Yes
Mian, S.; Leitch, I.; Kirby, K. ; Leitch, A. [SM58] United Kingdom K001527016 Yes
Borbas, V. [1755] Hungary K000494822 Unknown Type Material Yes
Pierce, C.S.; Brenan, J.B.E. [[25eR]] Türkiye K005093616 Yes
Bové, N. [423] Israel K005093608 Yes
Rechinger, K.H.; Rechinger, F. [6574a] Iran K005093598 Yes
Zohary, D.; Amdursky, I. [s.n.] Israel K005093605 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] Türkiye K005093617 Yes
Giles, J.J. [108] United Kingdom K001419111 Yes
Molesworth Allen, B. [9164] Türkiye K005093620 Yes
Davis [16116] Türkiye K005093619 Yes
Zohary, M.; Feinbrun, N. [s.n.] Israel K005093609 Yes
s.coll. [s.n.] Iran K005093597 Yes
Wirtgen, P. [123] Germany K000494826 Unknown Type Material Yes
Starmuehlner, F. [285] Iran K005093601 Yes
Day, C.D. [927] Türkiye K000341616 No
Borbas, V. [1754] Hungary K000494820 Unknown Type Material Yes
Waisbecker, A. [2653] Hungary K000494823 Unknown Type Material Yes
Barth, J. [s.n.] Switzerland K000494825 Unknown Type Material Yes
Borbas, V. [2571] Hungary K000494819 Unknown Type Material Yes
Sole, W. [s.n.] K000494816 Unknown Type Material Yes
Davis; Coode [D39074] Türkiye K005093615 Yes
Zorab, M. [527] K005093614 Yes
[Brikbeck] [2SeR] Türkiye K005093618 Yes
Meikle, R.D. [2917] Cyprus K005093596 Yes
Fishwick, R.W. [3] Iran K005093602 Yes
Lindsay, N. (Miss) [1495] Iran K005093599 Yes
Oborny, A. [1752] Czech Republic K000494821 Unknown Type Material Yes
Davis, P.H. [13930] Türkiye K005093610 Yes
Lowne, B.T. [s.n.] Syria K005093604 Yes
Davis; Dodds [20824] Türkiye K005093612 Yes
Sole, W. [s.n.] K000494815 Unknown Type Material Yes
Cope, T.A. [RBG 238] United Kingdom K000914349 Yes
Boutigny, J.F.D. [s.n.] France K000494818 Unknown Type Material Yes
Boutigny, J.F.D. [s.n.] K000494817 Unknown Type Material Yes
Arsene, F. [[858]] Mexico K005230189 Yes
s.coll. [1319C] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027578 No
Harrison, T.D. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027582 No
Salmon, C.E. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027571 No
Harrison, B. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027583 No
Britton, C.E.; Bickham, S.H. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027584 No
s.coll. [s.n.] Mentha citrata K001027592 No
Burdon, R.J. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027572 No
s.coll. [s.n.] Mentha citrata K001027587 No
Fraser, J. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027576 No
Bickham, S.H. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027577 No
s.coll. [s.n.] Mentha citrata K001027594 No
Fraser, J. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027568 No
s.coll. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027575 No
Bickham, S.H. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027585 No
s.coll. [s.n.] Mentha citrata K001027595 No
s.coll. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027574 No
Horwood, A.R. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027570 No
Lambert [s.n.] Spain Mentha citrata K001027591 No
Bull, K.E. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027567 No
s.coll. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027569 No
s.coll. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027581 No
s.coll. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027580 No
s.coll. [s.n.] Mentha citrata K001027586 No
[B.O. Mullingan] [s.n.] Mentha citrata K001027590 No
s.coll. [s.n.] Mentha citrata K001027593 No
Wallace, E.C. [s.n.] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027579 No
[F.S] [[8]] Mentha citrata K001027596 No
Lousley, J.E. [E6] United Kingdom Mentha citrata K001027573 No

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0