Mentha arvensis var. piperascens; Japanese mint

Japanese: ハッカ(薄荷) - ハッカ（英語表記）Mentha arvensis var. piperascens; Japanese mint

A perennial plant of the Lamiaceae family. It is also called Megusa. It is found in Japan and throughout East Asia, from the cool temperate zone to the warm temperate zone, growing in wetlands and producing long underground stems. The stem is rectangular and erect, reaching a height of about 20-60 cm. The leaves are opposite, stalked, elliptical, 3-8 cm long, with oily spots on the underside and sparse hairs on the upper side. From August to October, it produces many pale purple flowers with short stalks in the leaf axils. The corolla is a tubular, labiate flower with four lobes at the tip, and the four stamens are longer or shorter than the pistils depending on the plant. The whole plant is fragrant and contains a lot of menthol, and is used in perfumes, refreshing agents, and medicines. It has been actively cultivated since the end of the Edo period as a source of peppermint. It is especially cultivated in Hokkaido and Okayama Prefecture, and was an important export product of Japan before World War II. The species of mint grown abroad are different from those found in Japan, mainly Mint × piperita and Mint spicata . Mint is native to Europe and is commonly known as peppermint. It is distinguished by its hairless stems and spike-like flowers at the top of the stems.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

シソ科の多年草。一名をメグサともいう。日本各地をはじめ，東アジアの冷温帯から暖温帯にかけて分布し，湿地に生え，長い地下茎を出す。茎は四角形で直立し，高さ 20～60cmぐらいになる。葉は対生し有柄，長さ3～8cmの長楕円形をなし，下面には油点，上面にはまばらな毛がある。8～10月頃，葉腋に短い柄のある淡紫色の花を多数つける。花冠は筒形の唇形花で，先端部は4裂し，おしべ4本は株によってめしべより長いものと短いものがある。全草に芳香があり，メントールの含有量が多く，香料，清涼剤，薬用などに用いられる。薄荷の原料植物として江戸時代末期から盛んに栽培されるようになった。特に北海道と岡山県で盛んに栽培され，第2次世界大戦前は日本の重要な輸出品でもあった。外国産のハッカは日本のものとは種が異なり，セイヨウハッカ M.×piperita，ミドリハッカ M.spicataが主である。セイヨウハッカはヨーロッパ原産で，ペパーミントとしてよく知られる。これは全株が無毛で，花は茎の頂端に穂状につくことで区別される。

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