Synonym(s): Koellia flexuosa, Pycnanthemum flexuosum
Image ID: 18554
Image by: Ware, Richard & Teresa
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library
PLANT INDEX
ID_PLANT: PYTE
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
Include in WOTAS: 1
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2019-03-15
GENUS INDEX
GENUS CODE: PYCNA GENUS SCIENTIFIC:Pycnanthemum GENUS AUTHORITY: Michx. GENUS COMMON: Mountainmint GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of 20-25 species, herbs, of temperate North America. Pycnanthemum remains a complicated and difficult group, with speciation apparently having proceeded by allopolyploidy, autoploidy, and aneuploidy. Numerous aberrant forms and (probably) sterile hybrids complicate identification and understanding. GENUS IDENTIFICATION: GENUS REFERENCES: Chambers (1993); Grant & Epling (1943)=Z; Chambers & Hamer (1992)=Y; Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).
FAMILY INDEX
FAMILY CODE: LAMIAC FAMILY SCIENTIFIC:Lamiaceae FAMILY AUTHORITY: Lindley 1836 or LABIATAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789 FAMILY COMMON: Mint Family FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 230-250 genera and 6700-7170 species, herbs, shrubs, vines, and trees, cosmopolitan. The placement in the Lamiaceae of several genera traditionally placed in Verbenaceae (e.g. Clerodendrum) is strongly supported by several lines of evidence. FAMILY REFERENCE: Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).
NCBG DESCRIPTIVES
INTRO:Erect, rhizomatous perennial found in bogs, wet meadows and moist to wet forests and clearings. STEMS: Stems slender, 4-angled, bushy-branched, smooth. LEAVES: Leaves opposite, mostly sessile,linear, to 2 in. long, gland-dotted and with mint-like odor. INFLORESCENCE: FLOWERS: Flowers crowded in dense, branching, flat-topped heads with small, white, hairy bracts in addition to flowers; each flower white to pale pink, less than ¼ in. long, tubular opening to 2 spreading lips and with 2 purple anthers. FRUITS: COMMENTS: HEIGHT: 1-2 1/2 ft. DURATION:
Perennial
HABIT:
Herb
LEAF ARRANGEMENT:
Opposite LEAF COMPLEXITY:
Simple LEAF RETENTION: FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
Bilateral (Zygomorphic)
BLOOM TIME: June-Sep
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
x
x
x
x
x
BLOOM COLOR: White
White
Red
Pink
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Lavender
Purple
Violet
Brown
Not Applicable
x
FRUITING PERIOD: Sep-Oct. DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Bogs/pocosins, Moist forests
NATIVE RANGE: eastern United States HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: Narrow-leaf mountain-mint is an easy-to-grow southeastern native perennial with delightfully scented foliage. Just brush your hand lightly across the leaves to release the fresh minty fragrance. Narrow-leaf mountain-mint produces copious amounts of nectar, attracting and feeding many beneficial insects. Its upright stems bearing many small white flowers add an unusual cool touch to the summer garden, and make an excellent filler for flower arrangements.
Bloom Table Text: This plant is attractive to the eye as well as being a rich source of nectar to a multitude of insects and butterflies. The scientific name for the Mountain-mint comes from the greek, pyknos, meaning dense, and anthemon, a flower. It refers to the crowded clusters of flowers with small, leafy bracts immediately below them. Mountain-mints are erect, perennial, aromatic, herbaceous plants with rhizomes and branched or branchless, four-angled stems. These plants are often found in ordinary soil, neither excessively wet nor dry. They are planted in spring or early fall and will grow in sun or light shade. One can propagate the plant by division or seed.
NCBG Location: Education Center Landscape, Piedmont Habitat
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast
WEAKLEY FLORA
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
COMMON NAME: Slender Mountain-mint
SYNONYMY: [= C, F, GW, K, Mo, Pa, RAB, Va, W, WH3, Y; = P. flexuosum - G, Z, misapplied; = Koellia flexuosa - S, misapplied]
PHENOLOGY: Jun-Aug; Sep-Oct.
HABITAT: Bogs, wet meadows, moist to wet forests.
COMMENTS: ME west to MN, KS, and OK, south to FL and TX. A diploid and tetraploid species (n = 20 and 40).
RANGE MAP:
Key to Map SymbolsABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora) Lamiaceae Lindley 1836 or LABIATAE A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Mint Family) SUMMARY: A family of about 230-250 genera and 6700-7170 species, herbs, shrubs, vines, and trees, cosmopolitan. The placement in the Lamiaceae of several genera traditionally placed in Verbenaceae (e.g. Clerodendrum) is strongly supported by several lines of evidence. REFERENCE: Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora) Pycnanthemum Michx. (Mountainmint) SUMMARY: A genus of 20-25 species, herbs, of temperate North America. Pycnanthemum remains a complicated and difficult group, with speciation apparently having proceeded by allopolyploidy, autoploidy, and aneuploidy. Numerous aberrant forms and (probably) sterile hybrids complicate identification and understanding. REFERENCE: Chambers (1993); Grant & Epling (1943)=Z; Chambers & Hamer (1992)=Y; Harley et al. in Kadereit (2004).
HERBARIUM RESOURCES
SERNEC: Find Pycnanthemum tenuifolium in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available) UNC SERNEC: Find Pycnanthemum tenuifolium in
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)