Mint Leaves

Mentha (also known as Mint, from Greek míntha,Linear B mi-ta) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae (mint family).The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18.Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally. Many other hybrids as well as numerous cultivars are known in cultivation. The genus has a subcosmopolitan distribution across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America. Mints are aromatic, almost exclusively perennial, rarely annual, herbs. They have wide-spreading underground and overground stolons and erect, square, branched stems. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, from oblong to lanceolate, often downy, and with a serrate margin. Leaf colors range from dark green and gray-green to purple, blue, and sometimes pale yellow.The flowers are white to purple and produced in false whorls called verticillasters. The corolla is two-lipped with four subequal lobes, the upper lobe usually the largest. The fruit is a small, dry capsule containing one to four seeds. While the species that make up the Mentha genus are widely distributed and can be found in many environments, most Mentha grow best in wet environments and moist soils. Mints will grow 10–120 cm tall and can spread over an indeterminate area. Due to their tendency to spread unchecked, mints are considered invasive. Mentha aquatica – Water mint, or Marsh mint Mentha arvensis – Corn Mint, Wild Mint, Japanese Peppermint, Field Mint, Pudina (पुदीना in Hindi) Mentha asiatica - Asian Mint Mentha australis - Australian mint Mentha canadensis Mentha cervina - Hart's Pennyroyal Mentha citrata – Bergamot mint Mentha crispata - Wrinkled-leaf mint Mentha cunninghamii Mentha dahurica - Dahurian Thyme Mentha diemenica - Slender mint Mentha gattefossei Mentha grandiflora Mentha haplocalyx Mentha japonica Mentha kopetdaghensis Mentha laxiflora - Forest mint Mentha longifolia - Mentha sylvestris, Horse Mint Mentha piperita – Peppermint Mentha pulegium – Pennyroyal Mentha requienii – Corsican mint Mentha sachalinensis - Garden mint Mentha satureioides - Native Pennyroyal Mentha spicata – M. viridis, syn M. cordifolia Spearmint, Curly mint [9] Mentha suaveolens – Apple mint, Pineapple mint (a variegated cultivar of Apple mint) Mentha vagans - Gray mint Its health benefits include: - Soothing the digestive tract and if you are having stomach ache then it can be of great help - Drinking herbal mint tea reduces irritated bowel syndromes, cleanses the stomach and also clear up skin disorders such as acne. - Mint acts as a cooling sensation to the skin and helps in dealing with skin irritations. - Mint helps in eliminating toxins from the body. - Crushed mint leaves helps in whitening teeth and combat bad breath. - Mint is a very good cleanser for the blood. - Mint was originally used as a medicinal herb to treat stomach ache and chest pains, and it is commonly used in the form of tea as a home remedy to help alleviate stomach pain. - In Rome, Pliny recommended that a wreath of mint was a good thing for students to wear since it was thought to "exhilarate their minds". - During the Middle Ages, powdered mint leaves were used to whiten teeth. Mint tea is a strong diuretic.[citation needed] - A common use is as an antipruritic, especially in insect bite treatments (often along with camphor). - The strong, sharp flavor and scent of mint is sometimes used as a mild decongestant for illnesses such as the common cold.[citation needed] Mint is also used in some shampoo products. - Menthol from mint essential oil (40–90%) is an ingredient of many cosmetics and some perfumes. - Menthol and mint essential oil are also much used in medicine as a component of many drugs, and are very popular in aromatherapy. Menthol is also used in cigarettes as an additive, because it blocks out the bitter taste of tobacco and soothes the throat. - Mint oil is also used as an environmentally-friendly insecticide for its ability to kill some common pests like wasps, hornets, ants and cockroaches.[13] - Known in Greek mythology as the herb of hospitality,[14] one of mint's first known uses in Europe was as a room deodorizer.[15] The herb was strewn across floors to cover the smell of the hard-packed soil. Stepping on the mint helped to spread its scent through the room. - Today, it is more commonly used for aromatherapy through the use of essential oils.