Medicinally this family is rich in volatile oils, especially menthol, often used as the penetrating vapors in cough drops. Approximately 50 genera are found in North America.
Worldwide there are about 180 genera in the Mint Family representing some 3500 species. The rich, spicy quality of these plants makes them useful in cooking, and nearly half the spices in your kitchen come from this one family, including basil, rosemary, lavender, marjoram, germander, thyme, savory, horehound, plus culinary sage (but not sagebrush!), and of course mint, peppermint, and spearmint.įor the beginning botanist, that is all you really need to remember: "square stalks with opposite leaves, and usually aromatic". Be sure to smell it too, since many species of the family are loaded with aromatic volatile oils. If you pick a plant with a distinctly square stalk and simple, opposite leaves, then it is very likely a member of the Mint family. Home | Plant Identification | Plant Families Gallery | Edible Plants | Mushrooms | Linksĭesertification & Weed Ecology | Weed Profiles | E-Mail | Search this Site Plant Identification, Edible Plants, Weed Ecology, Mushrooms, and more.
0 kommentar(er)
