Common name: Pennyroyal
Mentha pulegium L. APNI*
Description: Herb to 40 cm high, usually stoloniferous and rooting at nodes; branches ascending to decumbent, ± densely covered with simple hairs; hairs recurved on basal parts and spreading on inflorescence.
Leaves with lamina obovate, elliptic to ± circular, 0.6–3 cm long, 4–20 mm wide; apex obtuse or rounded; margins entire or with small blunt teeth; petiole 1–6 mm long.
Flowers in dense many-flowered clusters in axil of a pair of leaves. Calyx 10-veined, fused to at least two-third its length; lower lobes more pointed than upper lobes, densely covered with spreading hairs. Corolla 4–6 mm long, usually pale-mauve to lilac. Anthers exserted.
Flowering: mostly January–April
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in damp areas, depressions, in alluvial silt of rivers, and on banks of rivers and creeks, occurring in sandy to loam-rich soils.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *CWS, *SWS, *SWP
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *Tas. *S.A.
Text by B. J. Conn Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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