Description
Mentha is a difficult genus, owing to morphological similarity, variability, and hybridization. Mentha X gracilis (Gingermint) is a hybrid with a native mint, Mentha arvensis (Field Mint).
Potentially Misidentified Species - Mentha arvensis is native to both North America and Europe. Mentha spicatca and M. aquatica (Water Mint), are introduced, as is Peppermint, a cultivated artifical hybrid (Mentha X piperita; Mentha spicata X Mentha aquatica) (Kartesz 1994).
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family | Genus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plantae | Magnoliophyta | Magnoliopsida | Lamiales | Lamiaceae | Mentha |
Synonyms
Invasion History
Chesapeake Bay Status
| First Record | Population | Range | Introduction | Residency | Source Region | Native Region | Vectors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1877 | Established | Stable | Introduced | Regular Resident | Europe | Eurasia | Ornamental(Garden Escape) |
History of Spread
The highly variable hybrid form Mentha X gracilis (=Mentha X gentilis, Mentha X cardiaca, Gingermint) was first reported from the United States (Phiuladelphia PA) by Barton (1818) and was later listed for PA by Gray (1867). It now ranges from NS to NC and inland from MI to IL. (Fernald 1950). Mentha X gracilis has been 'long in cultivation' (Gleason 1963), so hybrids could have originated either from wild M. arvensis, or from the escape of already hybridized garden plants.
However, the hybrid M. X gracilis (as M. cardiaca) has been frequently reported from tidal marshes and shorelines. The first report from the Chesapeake area is a collection in 1877 from the "Chain Bridge Flats", just above the head of tide of the Potomac River. In 1902, it was collected "in edge of marsh near Havre de Grace Lighthouse" (U.S. National Herbarium collections). It was found by Hitchcock and Standley (1919) who reported it as 'collected rarely' along the Potomac. It was reported 'infrequent' further down the river by Strong and Kelloff (1994) in Brent Marsh, Stafford County VA; and 'rare' on beach margins in King George County VA (Simmons et al. 1995). Mentha X gracilis (as M. cardiaca or gentilis) has also been reported from river shores and beaches of the upper Bay in Cecil and Kent Counties MD (Tatnall 1946; Krauss et al. 1971).
History Reerences - Brown and Brown 1984; Gleason 1963; Gleason and Cronquist 1991; Harvill et al. 1992; Hitchcock and Standley 1919; McAtee 1922; Mills et al. 1997; Simmons et al. 1995; Strong and Kelloff 1994; Tatnall 1946
Invasion Comments
Ecology
Environmental Tolerances
| For Survival | For Reproduction | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Maximum | Minimum | Maximum | |
| Temperature (ºC) | ||||
| Salinity (‰) | 0.0 | 0.0 | ||
| Oxygen | ||||
| pH | ||||
| Salinity Range | fresh-meso |
Age and Growth
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Adult Size (mm) | 450.0 | 450.0 |
| Typical Adult Size (mm) | 600.0 | 600.0 |
| Maximum Adult Size (mm) | 750.0 | 750.0 |
| Maximum Longevity (yrs) | ||
| Typical Longevity (yrs |
Reproduction
| Start | Peak | End | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive Season | |||
| Typical Number of Young Per Reproductive Event |
|||
| Sexuality Mode(s) | |||
| Mode(s) of Asexual Reproduction |
|||
| Fertilization Type(s) | |||
| More than One Reproduction Event per Year |
|||
| Reproductive Startegy | |||
| Egg/Seed Form |
Impacts
Economic Impacts in Chesapeake Bay
Mentha X gracilis (Gingermint) has no economic impact in Chesapeake Bay proper, but is probably cultivated in gardens as a flavoring (Brown and Brown 1984).
Economic Impacts Outside of Chesapeake Bay
Mentha X gracilis (Gingermint) is widely grown as a garden crop and occasionally as a commercial crop in the United States and elsewhere (Gleason 1963). We have found no reported impacts of feral populations.
Ecological Impacts on Chesapeake Native Species
Mentha X gracilis (Gingermint) appears to be rare in disturbed wet areas and tidal wetlands (Brown and Brown 1984; Harvill et al. 1992; Tatnall 1946). Mentha X gracilis is a potential competitor with its native parent species Mentha arvensis, but this, together with other impacts on native biota, has not been documented.
References - Brown and Brown 1984; Hitchcock and Standley 1919; Tatnall 1946
Ecological Impacts on Other Chesapeake Non-Native Species
Mentha X gracilis (Gingermint) appears to be rare in disturbed wet areas and tidal wetlands (Brown and Brown 1984; Harvill et al. 1992; Tatnall 1946). Mentha X gracilis is a potential competitor with other exotic mints, such as M. aquatica, M. spicata, and M. X piperita, but this, together with other impacts on exotic biota, has not been documented.
References - Brown and Brown 1984; Hitchcock and Standley 1919; Tatnall 1946
References
Brown, Melvin L.; Brown, Russell G. (1984) Herbaceous Plants of Maryland, , College Park. Pp.Fernald, Merritt L. (1950) Gray's Manual of Botany, In: (Eds.) . , New York. Pp.
Gleason, Henry A. (1963) The new Britton and Brown illustrated flora of the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, In: (Eds.) . , New York. Pp.
Gleason, Henry A.; Cronquist, Arthur (1991) Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, In: (Eds.) . , Bronx, New York. Pp.
Gray, Asa (1848) A manual of botany of the northern United States., In: (Eds.) . , Boston. Pp.
Gray, Asa (1867) A manual of botany of the northern United States., In: (Eds.) . , New York. Pp.
Harvill, A. M.; Bradley, Ted R.; Stevens, Charles E.; Wieboldt, Thomas F.; Ware, Donna M. E.; Ogle, Douglas W.; Ramsey, Gwynn W.; Fleming, Gary P. (1992) Atlas of the Virginia Flora, , Burkeville, VA. Pp.
Hitchcock, A. S.; Standley, P. C. (1919) Flora of the District of Columbia and Vicinity., In: (Eds.) . , Washington, D. C.. Pp.
Kartesz, John T. (1994) A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland., In: (Eds.) . , Portland OR. Pp.
McAtee, W. L. (1922) Muhlenberg on plants collected in the district of Columbia about 1809, Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 35: 63-72
Mills, Edward L.; Scheuerell, Mark D.; Carlton, James T.; Strayer, David (1997) Biological invasions in the Hudson River: an inventory and historical analysis., New York State Museum Circular 57: 1-51
1997-2024 USDA PLANTS Database.. Onine databse
Simmons, Mark P.; Ware, Donna M.; Hayden, W. John (1995) The vascular flora of the Potomac River watershed of King George County, Virginia, Castanea 60: 179-209
Strong, Mark T.; Kelloff, Carol L. (1994) Intertidal vascular plants of Brent Marsh, Potomac River, Stafford County, Virginia, Castanea 59: 354-366
Tatnall, Robert R. (1946) Flora of Delaware and the Eastern Shore, , Wilmington. Pp.