LAMIACEAE MINT FAMILY Plant: herbs, shrubs and rarely trees; often aromatic from oils Stem: most with square stems (but not definitive for mints) Root: Leaves: simple, sometimes pinnate; mostly opposite Flowers: perfect, very rarely unisexual; regular (actinomorphic) but often irregular (zygomorphic); usually small, often in spikes (or clusters) and whorls in axils of leaves; 5 united sepals, 5-part corolla usually as a tube with 2 lips, upper lip 2-lobed and lower lip 3-lobed (other divisions possible); stamens 2 or 4, often unequal in length; ovary superior, carpels 2 but appears as 4 often due to division into nutlets Fruit: usually 4 nutlets, 1-seeded, enclosed by persisting calyx Other: very common and numerous; exceptions to above characters do occur; Dicotyledons Group Genera: 250+ genera; selected local genera Agastache (giant hyssop), Glechoma (ground ivy), Lamium, Leonurus, Mentha (mint), Monarda (bee-balm), Nepeta, Physostegia, Prunella (self-heal), Pycnanthemum (mountain mint) WARNING family descriptions are only a layman s guide and should not be used as definitive
Flower Morphology in the 5 united sepals, 5 united petals usually expressed as lobes (many strongly 2-lobed (3+2) but most combinations or none possible), ovary superior; stems usually square; many aromatic Horsebalm Marsh Skullcap Gill-Over-The-Ground American Germander Henbit Water Horehound Horsemint Wild Bergamot Wild Mint Obedient Plant
LAMIACEAE MINT FAMILY Catnip; Nepeta cataria L. (Introduced) Beafsteak Plant; Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. var. crispa (Introduced) Beafsteak Plant; Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. var. frutescens. (Introduced) Narrowleaf False Dragonhead [Obedient Plant]; Physostegia angustifolia Fernald Slender False Dragonhead; Physostegia intermedia (Nutt.) Engelm. & Gray False Dragonhead [Obedient Plant]; Physostegia virginiana (L.) Benth. Common Selfheal [Heal-All]; Prunella vulgaris L. Whiteleaf Mountain Mint; Pycnanthemum albescens Torr. & A. Gray Narrowleaf [Slender] Mountain Mint; Pycnanthemum tenuifolium Schrad. Whorled [Hairy] Mountain-Mint; Pycnanthemum verticillatum (Michx.) Pers. var. pilosum (Nutt.) Cooperrider Virginia Mountain-Mint; Pycnanthemum virginianum (L.) T. Dur. & B.D. Jackson ex B.L. Robins. & Fern. Blue [Pitcher] Sage; Salvia azurea Michx. ex Lam. var. grandiflora Lyre-Leaved Sage [Cancer Weed]; Salvia lyrata L. Hairy Skullcap; Scutellaria elliptica Muhl. ex Spreng. var. elliptica Hairy Skullcap; Scutellaria elliptica Muhl. ex Spreng. var. hirsuta (Short & Peter) Fernald Marsh Skullcap; Scutellaria galericulata L. [S. epilobiifolia] Hoary [Downy] Skullcap; Scutellaria incana Biehler var. incana Blue [Mad Dog] Skullcap; Scutellaria lateriflora L. var. Lateriflora Heart-Leaved Skullcap; Scutellaria ovata Hill ssp. Ovata Small Skullcap; Scutellaria parvula Michx. Hyssopleaf [Rough] Hedgenettle; Stachys aspera Michx. Smooth Hedge-Nettle; Stachys tenuifolia Willd. American [Canadian] Germander [Wood Sage]; Teucrium canadense L. False Pennyroyal [Fluxweed]; Trichostema brachiatum L. [Isanthus brachiatus] Forked Bluecurls [Bastard Pennyroyal]; Trichostema dichotomum L.
Catnip Nepeta cataria L. (Introduced) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 2-lipped flower, pale lilac to white with purple spots, 4 stamens, mostly in dense spikes (terminal and branches); leaves coarsely (rounded or crenate) toothed with somewhat cordate base; finely hairy or downy all over; cats like it!; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2005]
Beafsteak Plant Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. var. crispa (Introduced) Shawnee State Park, Scioto County, Ohio Notes: 2-lipped flower, white to purple, sometimes shorter than calyx; leaves ovate, slightly pointed, coarsely and irregularly serrate or lobed, with petiole, leaf turns purple with age; stem and calyx very hairy; late summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2006]
Beafsteak Plant Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. var. frutescens. (Introduced) Sam A. Baker State Park, Madison County, Missouri Notes: 2-lipped flower, white to purple, usually shorter than calyx; leaves ovate, pointed, coarsely serrate, with petiole; stem and calyx very hairy [V Max Brown, 2006]
Narrowleaf False Dragonhead [Obedient Plant] Physostegia angustifolia Fernald Prairie State Park, Barton County, Missouri Notes: large tubular flower, strongly 2-lipped, white to pink to rose, purple spotted, hairy or not, 4 stamens, in dense terminal spikes; leaves stiff, narrowly lanceolate, (mostly < 1.5cm wide), serrate, opposite; summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2010]
Slender False Dragonhead Physostegia intermedia (Nutt.) Engelm. & Gray Ash Flat area, Sharp County, Arkansas Notes: 2-lipped tubular flower, white with pink to rose tint, pink-purple spotted on interior, smaller than flowers of Obedient Plant, in dense spikes; leaves entire to wavyedged (not or poorly toothed), opposite; wet areas; summer [V Max Brown, 2007]
False Dragonhead [Obedient Plant] Physostegia virginiana (L.) Benth. Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: large tubular flower, strongly 2-lipped, white to pink to rose, purple spotted, hairy or not, 4 stamens, in dense terminal spikes; leaves lanceolate, serrate, opposite; when flower pushed to one side, it is obedient; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2004]
Common Selfheal [Heal-All] Prunella vulgaris L. Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: flower bluish, purple to white, upper lip hooded and lower lip fringed, 4 stamens, crowded in bracts forming a square to oblong compact head; leaves lanceolate, with petioles; very common; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2003] USDA
Whiteleaf Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum albescens Torr. & A. Gray Big Cane Conservation Area, Butler County, Missouri Notes: 2-lipped flower, white, with purple spots, calyx hairy, calyx teeth lanceolate to deltoid and without bristles, upper bracts and often top-most leaves strongly whitened on upper surface, cymes spread out; leaves oppostie, lanceolate with small teeth, width usually less than 3X length of leaf, somewhat felty hairy; stem finely hairy; summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2011]
Narrowleaf [Slender] Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium Schrad. Lake Charles State Park, Lawrence County, Arkansas Notes: 2-lipped flower, white, often some faint purple spots, calyx hairy or not, heads dense, cymes somewhat open below; leaf linear, entire, opposite, mostly glabrous; stem square, mostly glabrous on sides and angles; summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2007]
Whorled [Hairy] Mountain-Mint Pycnanthemum verticillatum (Michx.) Pers. var. pilosum (Nutt.) Cooperrider Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 2-lipped flower, white, often purple spotted, in dense head clusters; leaf lanceolate, slightly toothed, ~4x long as wide, opposite; both leaves and stem very hairy; summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2005]
Virginia Mountain-Mint Pycnanthemum virginianum (L.) T. Dur. & B.D. Jackson ex B.L. Robins. & Fern. Pokagon State Park, Steuben County, Indiana Notes: 2-lipped flower, white, in dense heads; leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, hairy on bottom; stem with abundant hairs mostly confined to angles; wet areas; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2006] USDA
Blue [Pitcher] Sage Salvia azurea Michx. ex Lam. var. grandiflora Wilson s Creek National Battlefield, Greene County, Missouri Notes: strongly 2-lipped flower, blue USDA (rarely white), calyx with 3 triangular teeth; leaves linear lanceolate, mostly sessile or short petiolate, usually toothed; tall plant; glades and prairies; summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2010]
Lyre-Leaved Sage [Cancer Weed] Salvia lyrata L. Alley Springs, Ozark National Riverways, Shannon County, Missouri Notes: strongly 2-lipped flower, lavender to blue or violet, USDA upper and lower calyx divided by sinus, calyx tipped by awns or bristles, up to ~12 flowers at nodes; leaves mostly basal (4-6 at most cauline leaves), pinnatifid, toothed; stem very hairy; spring to early summer [V Max Brown, 2010]
Hairy Skullcap Scutellaria elliptica Muhl. ex Spreng. var. elliptica Shawnee State Park, Scioto County, Ohio Notes: 2-lipped flower, blue with white blotch on interior, fine downy hairy, calyx hairs glandular; leaves mostly ovate, V-shaped at base, stalked, with numerous rounded teeth (crenate), 2-5 pairs of leaves; stem fine downy, hairs in-curved upward; summer [V Max Brown, 2007]
Hairy Skullcap Scutellaria elliptica Muhl. ex Spreng. var. hirsuta (Short & Peter) Fernald Taum Sauk Moutain State Park, Iron County, Missouri Notes: 2-lipped flower, blue with white blotch on interior, downy hairy, calyx hairs glandular; leaves mostly ovate, V-shaped at base, stalked, with numerous rounded teeth (crenate), 2-5 pairs of stem leaves; stem with mostly straight spreading hairs; summer [V Max Brown, 2011]
Marsh Skullcap Scutellaria galericulata L. [S. epilobiifolia] Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 2-lipped flower, blue to violet marked with white, in pairs in leaf axils; leaves lanceolate to oblong, nearly sessile to short stalked; stem mostly glabrous except on angles; swamps and shores; summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2006]
Hoary [Downy] Skullcap Scutellaria incana Biehler var. incana Springfield Conservation Nature Center, Greene County, Missouri Notes: 2-lipped flower, blue with white blotch on interior, fine downy hairy, calyx hairs not glandular; leaves mostly ovate, V-shaped at base, stalked, with numerous rounded teeth (crenate), 5-15 pairs, lower surface short downy hairy; stem fine downy, hairs in-curved upward; summer [V Max Brown, 2010]
Blue [Mad Dog] Skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora L. var. Lateriflora Big Cane Conservation Area, Butler County, Missouri Notes: 2-lipped flower, blue to light purple, in pairs along lateral racemes from leaf axils and terminal; leaves broadly lanceolate, petiolate, sharply toothed; stem finely hairy above, mostly glabrous and often purple below, well branched plant; swamps and wet ground; summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2011]
Heart-Leaved Skullcap Scutellaria ovata Hill ssp. Ovata Branson area, Taney County, Missouri Notes: 2-lipped flower, finely hairy, blue to violet marked with white, calyx glandular hairy, growing in pairs on terminal spikes; leaves opposite, cordate at base, well toothed (12+ per side), fairly long petiole, hairy; stem densely short hairy (often glandular); usually in woods; summer [V Max Brown, 2008]
Small Skullcap Scutellaria parvula Michx. Taum Sauk Moutain State Park, Iron County, Missouri Notes: 2-lipped flower, finely and densely hairy, light blue and spotted, usually growing in pairs at leaf axils; leaves opposite, somewhat cordate or rounded at base, entire to only slightly toothed, sessile, hairy; stem densely short hairy; glades, bluffs, and woodlands; late spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2010]
Hyssopleaf [Rough] Hedgenettle Stachys aspera Michx. Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: strongly 2-lipped flower, pink, blue to purplish, in terminal spikes; leaves sessile toward the top and short-stalked (1-3 mm) near base, lanceolate and serrate; entire plant including flower hairy, stem has down-ward pointing hairs only on the edges; moist habitats; summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2006]
Smooth [Common] Hedge-Nettle Stachys tenuifolia Willd. Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: strongly 2-lipped flower, pink, blue to lavender or white, older spikes interrupted; leaf shape variable (lanceolate to ovate), main stem leaves with petioles (> 0.5 cm); stem without hairs but often has some fine hooked prickles on edges (feels a little rough); summer to early fall V Max Brown, 2006]
American [Canadian] Germander [Wood Sage] Teucrium canadense L. Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: strongly 2-lipped flower, purplish, pinkish or lavender, lower lip very prominent, stamens protrude up in notch of upper lip, in terminal spikes; leaves large, ovate to lanceolate, toothed; varieties are known; summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2006]
False Pennyroyal [Fluxweed] Trichostema brachiatum L. [Isanthus brachiatus] Sam A. Baker State Park, Madison County, Missouri Notes: 5-lobed flower (nearly actinomorphic or regular), pale to dark blue, on short pedicles; leaves lanceolate, large leaves often noticeably 3-veined; plant very hairy and sticky; late summer to fall [V Max Brown, 2006]
Forked Bluecurls [Bastard Pennyroyal] Trichostema dichotomum L. Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas county, Ohio Notes: 5-lobed flower, blue, lowest lobe declined, stamens blue and curled downward, usually on short pedicels; leaves elliptical to ovate, mostly entire, mostly sessile, and with short hairs, > 4mm in width; stem with short hairs; plant erect and mostly found in sandy soils; late summer to early fall [V Max Brown, 2008]