Field Mint

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Field mint is one of the plants of the family called labiates, in Latin the name of this plant will sound like this: Mentha arvensis L. As for the name of the field mint family itself, in Latin it will be like this: Lamiaceae Lindl.

Description of field mint

Field mint is also known under the following popular names: mother mint, wild mint, wild oregano, boron mint, perekop, forest mint and flea. Field mint is a perennial herb, endowed with a rather long creeping rhizome. The stems of this plant can be both erect and ascending, and recumbent. For the most part, such stems are branched, and their height will fluctuate between fifteen and forty-five centimeters. Field mint leaves will be opposite, ovate, petiolate, serrate-toothed, oblong-lanceolate or oval. The flowers of the field mint will be painted in pink-lilac tones, they are rather small in size, and they will be in dense and rather far from each other spherical whorls, which in turn will be located in the axils of the stem leaves. The length of the corolla of this plant is about three to five millimeters, they can be painted in mauve or pink tones. The field mint fruit will consist of four rounded nuts, which will be enclosed in a cup.

Field mint blooms in summer and autumn. Under natural conditions, this plant is found on the territory of Ukraine, Belarus, the Far East, southern regions of Eastern Siberia, as well as throughout Russia, with the exception of only the Far North. For growth, this plant prefers the banks of reservoirs, damp meadows, grassy swamps, swampy forests, a place along ditches, weedy places and fields. It should be noted that field mint will be cultivated as an essential oil plant.

Description of the medicinal properties of field mint

Field mint is endowed with very valuable healing properties, while it is recommended to use the herb of this plant for medicinal purposes. Grass includes the leaves, flowers and stems of this plant. It should be noted that such raw materials should be procured in the period from June to September.

It is noteworthy that the biochemical composition of this plant has not yet been fully studied, nevertheless, it is known for certain that in the field mint herb there will be an essential oil, which contains terpene derivatives and menthol. In addition, the field mint contains carotene, glucose, ascorbic acid, betaine, rhamnose and the flavonoid hesperidin. It should be noted that the herb from this plant can be used for the same purposes as the herb of peppermint. But, at the same time, it is still impossible to call field mint a full-fledged substitute.

This plant is endowed with a very effective diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, sedative, antispasmodic, analgesic, anticonvulsant, diuretic, carminative, tonic and hemostatic effect.

As for traditional medicine, medicinal products based on this plant are very widely used here. An infusion prepared on the basis of field mint has the ability to increase appetite and improve digestion processes, will reduce the acidity of gastric juice, stop or reduce both pain and cramps of the stomach and intestines. In addition, such a remedy is used for diarrhea, gastritis, dysentery, gastrointestinal colic and atony of the gastrointestinal tract. A decoction of herbs and juice of field mint leaves will be used for coughs and whooping cough, as well as for pulmonary tuberculosis.