Spring

Spring

Pinyin name

Liú Lán Xiānɡ

Herba Menthae Spicatae

(English) Spearmint Herb

Also known as spearmint, green mint, fragrant cauliflower, fish coriander

The source is the Lamiaceae plant Mentha spicata L. of whole grass.

Origin distribution

It grows wild in Xinjiang, my country, and is cultivated in Hebei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan and other provinces.

Plant form

Perennial herb, 0.3~1.3m high, branched. The rhizome runs sideways. The stem is square, multi-branched, purple or dark green. The leaves are opposite, oval-lanceolate, 1 to 6 cm long, 3 to 17 mm wide, with a tapered or acute apex, a round or wedge-shaped base, sparsely serrated edges, hairless on both sides, and glandular spots below; no petiole. . The inflorescences are densely packed into terminal spikes; the bracts are linear and ciliate; the calyx is bell-shaped, hairless on the outside, with 5 teeth and cilium; the corolla is purple or white, with no annular hairs on the inner surface of the crown tube and 4 lobes. The upper lobes are large; the stamens are 4, extending beyond the corolla; the top of the style is 2-lobed, extending beyond the corolla. Nutlets are oval, black, and slightly pubescent. The flowering period is from July to August, and the fruiting period is from August to September.

Growth habits

It likes moisture and has strong adaptability. It is cold-resistant and can survive the winter in the open field in Shanghai. However, after three consecutive years of continuous planting, the plant growth is poor and its cold tolerance is also significantly weakened. It requires sufficient sunlight and is not suitable for cultivation in shaded conditions.

Garden uses

Spring can be used as a ground cover plant, which can quickly pave the ground to form a landscape, and can also be used for medicinal purposes.

Propagation and cultivation are mainly based on cutting propagation.

Harvested from May to August.

Chemical composition: Contains volatile oils, mainly carvone, limonene, and phellandrene.

Left-handed α-pinene (α-pinene), left-handed α-phellandrene (α-phellandrene), left-handed limonene (limonene) and right-handed 3- O-octanol (3-O-octanol), carvone, pulegone.

The volatile oil of fresh leaves produced in India contains carawayne, L-limonene and dihydrocarveol

Its main functions are to dispel wind, regulate qi, and relieve pain. Used for colds, coughs, headaches, abdominal distension and pain, and dysmenorrhea.

Ornamental applications

The leaves can be used as vegetables, eaten cold or fried, and are commonly used to make tea in Europe. It can also be used in sauces, drinks, cold dishes, beans, potato dishes, fish dishes, and snacks. It can also be used as the essence of soap in industry. The extracted essential oil is an important sesame oil in candies, pharmaceuticals, and toothpaste. It is also widely used in chewing gum production. Fresh spearmint leaves contain 83.0% water, 4.8% protein, 0.6% fat, 2.0% fiber, 8.0% carbohydrate, and 1.6% mineral content. 100 grams contains 2,700 international units of vitamin A and 50 mg of vitamin C. Contains 50 aromatic ketones and does not contain menthol. When used medicinally in the tropics, leaf juice is used with onion to suppress vomiting, and the essential oil can be used as a deodorant and carminative.