Pycnanthemum incanum
Encyclopedia
Pycnanthemum
incanum (Hoary Mountainmint, "mountain mint", Wild Basil, Hoary Basil
) is a herbaceous perennial
in the mint family
, native to North America
. It is listed as an endangered species in Vermont
and New Hampshire
, as well as in Ontario
, where there are only two remaining populations located within a single stretch of oak
savanna in Burlington
. There is currently a recovery strategy in place organized by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to monitor these last populations.
It grows to 2 to 4 ft (0.6096 to 1.2 ) high by 4 feet wide. The stems are covered with a soft, whitish down. White blooms appear from July to September. Pycnanthemum means "dense flower-clusters" in Greek
, and the flowers are favored by butterflies, moths, and some species of wasps. A vigorous and often aggressive grower, this plant spreads by long rhizomes. It prefers rocky, gravelly or sandy soil, and typically grows in woods, thickets, fields, and hills, presumably the origin of its common name of Mountainmint.
When crushed, the leaves emit a strong minty aroma, and are often used to flavor teas.
and is considered to be an astringent
.
The Choctaw
put the mashed leaves in warm water, which the patient drank, and which was poured over the head to relieve headaches. For patients who were sickly all the time, the leaves were mashed in water, the doctor took a mouthful of water, and blew it onto the patient, three times on the head, three times on the back, and three times on the chest. Before the next sunrise, the patient was bathed in the medicine.
The Koasati
mashed the leaves in water, and used the water to treat laziness. The patient bathed his face in the cold water and drank it. For nosebleeds, the plant was wetted, and put up into the nostrils to stop the bleed. The roots were boiled along with Black Willow, and drunk to relieve headache.
It is considered to be a food source for large mammals, as well.
Pycnanthemum
Pycnanthemum is a genus of plants in the mint family . They are commonly known as mountain mints , though "the Mountain Mint" may also be any locally common species in particular. Some are known as koellias, after an obsolete genus name.All of the approximately 20 species in this genus are native...
incanum (Hoary Mountainmint, "mountain mint", Wild Basil, Hoary Basil
Hoary basil
Hoary basil may refer to a number of plant species:* Pycnanthemum incanum * Ocimum americanum or Ocimum canum * Ocimum kilimandscharicum...
) is a herbaceous perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
in the mint family
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
, native to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It is listed as an endangered species in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, as well as in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, where there are only two remaining populations located within a single stretch of oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
savanna in Burlington
Burlington, Ontario
Burlington , is a city located in Halton Region at the western end of Lake Ontario. Burlington is part of the Greater Toronto Area, and is also included in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. Physically, Burlington lies between the north shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment...
. There is currently a recovery strategy in place organized by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to monitor these last populations.
It grows to 2 to 4 ft (0.6096 to 1.2 ) high by 4 feet wide. The stems are covered with a soft, whitish down. White blooms appear from July to September. Pycnanthemum means "dense flower-clusters" in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, and the flowers are favored by butterflies, moths, and some species of wasps. A vigorous and often aggressive grower, this plant spreads by long rhizomes. It prefers rocky, gravelly or sandy soil, and typically grows in woods, thickets, fields, and hills, presumably the origin of its common name of Mountainmint.
When crushed, the leaves emit a strong minty aroma, and are often used to flavor teas.
Medicinal use
This species contains tanninTannin
A tannin is an astringent, bitter plant polyphenolic compound that binds to and precipitates proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.The term tannin refers to the use of...
and is considered to be an astringent
Astringent
An astringent substance is a chemical compound that tends to shrink or constrict body tissues, usually locally after topical medicinal application. The word "astringent" derives from Latin adstringere, meaning "to bind fast"...
.
The Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
put the mashed leaves in warm water, which the patient drank, and which was poured over the head to relieve headaches. For patients who were sickly all the time, the leaves were mashed in water, the doctor took a mouthful of water, and blew it onto the patient, three times on the head, three times on the back, and three times on the chest. Before the next sunrise, the patient was bathed in the medicine.
The Koasati
Coushatta
----The Coushatta are a historic Muskogean-speaking Native American people living primarily in the U.S. state of Louisiana. When first encountered by Europeans, they lived in the territory of present-day Georgia and Alabama...
mashed the leaves in water, and used the water to treat laziness. The patient bathed his face in the cold water and drank it. For nosebleeds, the plant was wetted, and put up into the nostrils to stop the bleed. The roots were boiled along with Black Willow, and drunk to relieve headache.
It is considered to be a food source for large mammals, as well.