MENTHA PIPERITA  and MENTHA SPICATA

COMMON NAMES  : peppermint and spearmint

FAMILY  :        Lamicaea    (Mint family)

HABIT / GROWING:

Native to Mediterranean but widely cultivated. Likes moist soil and creeps everywhere. Peppermint may be indigenous.

PARTS USED  :        Pre-flowering tops

TRADITIONAL & MODERN USE:

Once used to scent baths and as a wash for skin sores and to whiten the teeth. Today used to flavour toothpaste.

Stimulant, carminative and antispasmodic, peppermint is the more powerful. Spearmint is most used for flatulence, colic, hiccups, nausea and general childhood problems or where peppermint is too powerful. Peppermint is similar but also helps breathing especially the essential oil. Often mixed with elderflowers as an infusion to fight off colds and influenza.

CONSTITUENTS    :      Menthol and menthone

Peppermint

Peppermint