Catmint (English spelling)

Japanese: イヌハッカ（英語表記）catmint

A somewhat rare perennial plant of the Lamiaceae family (illustration) that grows on roadsides in the Chubu and Ou regions of Honshu. It is 50-100cm tall, has fine hairs all over, and is whitish-green. The stem is four-sided and branches out a lot. The leaves are opposite and triangular-ovate, cordate at the base, with sawtooth edges, and 1-3cm petioles. In July and August, the plant produces ears of pale purple flowers at the ends of the branches. The corolla is lip-shaped, has three lobes on the underside, and the central lobe is the largest and has purple spots. It is distributed in the temperate zone of Eurasia, and is thought to have been introduced to Japan as an introduced plant.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

本州の中部地方や奥羽地方の道端に生える，ややまれなシソ科の多年草（イラスト）。高さ50～100cm，全体に細かい毛があって帯白緑色。茎は四稜があって多く分枝する。葉は対生して三角状の卵形，基部は心形で縁には鋸歯があり，1～3cmの葉柄がある。7～8月ごろ，枝先に穂を作って淡紫色の花を多数つける。花冠は唇形で，下側は3裂して中央の裂片は最も大きく紫色の斑点がある。ユーラシア大陸の温帯に分布し，日本には帰化植物として入ってきたと考えられている。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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