Pennyroyal?

[ian at lings]

Hi, found this on a wetland site in Northants last week and think it is Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium). Is there anything I might be likely to confuse it with? Can anyone confirm my ID?
Cheers,
Ian

[KeenTeen17]

water mint?

[ian at lings]

It doesn't feel like water mint, it's shorter, smells more minty and the leaves seem different. I'll try to get out with Stace & a lens over the next week & see if I can pin it down!
Cheers
Ian

[aeshna5]

Try Corn Mint, Mentha arvensis!

[JennyS]

Or Whorled Mint, Mentha x verticillata (Corn Mint x Water Mint)

[leifus]

i'm going with whorled mint

[Lizard1]

Hi Ian

Does look like a Pennyroyal to me. But dont get excited if it proves to be so. See the following:

Mentha pulegium

It is sometimes found as a seed contaminent in grass mixes. Supposedly the non native is a more erect form (var erecta), which has never been properly described. Having seen both I find it difficult to tell !

[ian at lings]

Thanks Lizard

I've just got round to getting the flowers under the scope & they key out as pennyroyal with Stace.

Its habit, which is erect rather than sprawling, does seem to point towards var erecta though it's pretty hard to be certain!

Many thanks for the excellent link - nice to have found something which is causing a bit of contraversy. It was on the edge of a fluctuation pond as your link suggests. Certainly not on a site which has been recently re-seeded.

I look forward to finding out more about it in the future. For now it's a BAP priority species, I've got a patch of 6 plants and it smells lovely - that's good enough for me!

Cheers

Ian

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by ian at lings

It doesn't feel like water mint, Cheers
Ian

And there we have the major problem with IDing from photos. This is in no way a pop at you, you have a specimen and you know where to go for definitive help, but the frustration of a plant you want to turn around and observe, the spider you want to examine the genitals of and so on is immense.

Don't know why I have said that, apart from the fact that it is true. And I wanted to put genitals into a post. ( That sounds bad)

[Lizard1]

Glad you have solved your id query.

I dont think id from photos in this case is particularly a problem. I would suggest sending the record into the county recorder, as the flora atlas shows this species (esp var erecta) is increasing.

With regard to location of the plant, it is often the case that non native/introduced taxon will mimic and naturally gravitate towards habitat preferences that suits the native/type locality of the species (in this case flushes, drawdown zones of ponds, wet grasslands etc). You really need to delve into the history of the site's management, and look carefully at associated species in order to assess likelihood of the species being native (probably very small in this case as it does look like var erecta from the first photo).

One further thing, Pennyroyal is afforded additional protection from being listed under Schedule 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended):

Plants


Well done on the interesting find!

Cheers

[Lance Morgan]

I saw lots of similar flowering plants growing around the edge of Powdermill Reservoir near Seddlescombe last week. Unfortunately I was fishing in a boat and forgot to have a closer look on the bank. Could this have been Pennyroyal?

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Lance Morgan

I saw lots of similar flowering plants growing around the edge of Powdermill Reservoir near Seddlescombe last week. Unfortunately I was fishing in a boat and forgot to have a closer look on the bank. Could this have been Pennyroyal?

I'd have thought more likely to be Water Mint in that location!

[Lance Morgan]

That was my first thought but these were blue erect spike flowers unlike water mint.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Lance Morgan

That was my first thought but these were blue erect spike flowers unlike water mint.

I wouldn't describe any of the mints as having blue flowers- what about one of the aquatic speedwells such as Brooklime or blue Water Speedell?

[ian at lings]

Originally Posted by Meta menardi

And there we have the major problem with IDing from photos.

Indeed! I did try to get pics which showed the leaf shape & degree of pubescence etc etc but a picture of the hairs in the throat of the calyx would have been the clincher & I'm not set up to get the camera on the scope (yet).
The leaves are also rather different from water mint and the smell is much much stronger. The ability to post smells would be useful!

Cheers

Ian