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''Monarda'' is a
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial no ...
of
flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek language, Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to ...
s in the mint
family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...
,
Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory ...
.Harley, R. M., et al. 2004. "Labiatae". pp 167-275 In: Kubitzki, K. (editor) and J. W. Kadereit (volume editor). ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants'' volume VII. Springer-Verlag: Berlin; Heidelberg, Germany. The genus is
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to North America. Common names include bergamot, bee balm, horsemint, and oswego tea, the first being inspired by the fragrance of the leaves, which is reminiscent of
bergamot orange ''Citrus bergamia'', the bergamot orange (pronounced ), is a fragrant citrus fruit the size of an orange, with a yellow or green color similar to a lime, depending on ripeness. Genetic research into the ancestral origins of extant citrus cult ...
(''Citrus bergamia''). The genus was named for the Spanish botanist Nicolás Monardes, who wrote a book in 1574 describing plants of the
New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
.


Description

''Monarda'' species include annual and
perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
herbaceous plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...
s. They grow erect to heights of . The slender, serrated,
lanceolate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular ...
leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ste ...
are oppositely arranged on the square
stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...
, hairless or sparsely hairy, and about 7 to 14 centimeters long. The flowers are tubular and bilaterally symmetric, with a narrow upper lip and a wider lower lip. The wild flowers are single, but some cultivated forms have double flowers. They are
monoecious Monoecy (; adj. monoecious ) is a sexual system in seed plants where separate male and female cones or flowers are present on the same plant. It is a monomorphic sexual system alongside gynomonoecy, andromonoecy and trimonoecy. Monoecy is con ...
, with male and female structures in each flower. There are two
stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...
s.
Inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
s occur at the top of the stem or emerge from the axils. They are typically crowded head-like clusters of flowers with leafy bracts. Flower color varies, with wild species bearing red, pink, and light purple flowers. '' M. didyma'' has bright
carmine Carmine ()also called cochineal (when it is extracted from the cochineal insect), cochineal extract, crimson lake, or carmine lake is a pigment of a bright- red color obtained from the aluminium complex derived from carminic acid. Specific code ...
red flowers, '' M. fistulosa'' has pink, and '' M. citriodora'' and '' M. pectinata'' have pale purple. Hybrids occur in the wild, and they are common in cultivation. Seed collected from hybrids does not yield plants identical to the parent.


Uses

The crushed leaves of all species exude a spicy, fragrant
essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...
. Of the species examined in one
study Study or studies may refer to: General * Education **Higher education * Clinical trial * Experiment * Observational study * Research * Study skills, abilities and approaches applied to learning Other * Study (art), a drawing or series of drawi ...
, ''M. didyma'' contained the highest concentration of oil. Several species, including ''Monarda fistulosa'' and ''M. didyma'', have a long history of use as medicinal plants by many Native Americans, such as the
Blackfoot The Blackfoot Confederacy, ''Niitsitapi'' or ''Siksikaitsitapi'' (ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ, meaning "the people" or " Blackfoot-speaking real people"), is a historic collective name for linguistically related groups that make up the Blackfoot or Bla ...
,
Menominee The Menominee (; mez, omǣqnomenēwak meaning ''"Menominee People"'', also spelled Menomini, derived from the Ojibwe language word for "Wild Rice People"; known as ''Mamaceqtaw'', "the people", in the Menominee language) are a federally recog ...
,
Ojibwa The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
and
Winnebago Winnebago can refer to: * The exonym of the Ho-Chunk tribe of Native North Americans with reservations in Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin ** Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, a federally recognized tribe group in the state ** The Winnebago language of the ...
. The Blackfoot recognized the strong
antiseptic An antiseptic (from Greek ἀντί ''anti'', "against" and σηπτικός ''sēptikos'', "putrefactive") is an antimicrobial substance or compound that is applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putre ...
action of the plants, and used them in
poultice A poultice, also called a cataplasm, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth and placed over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed, or painful part of the body. It can be used on wounds, such as cuts. 'Poultice ...
s for skin infections and minor wounds. Native Americans and later settlers also used it to alleviate stomach and bronchial ailments. A tisane made from the plant was also used to treat mouth and throat infections caused by
dental caries Tooth decay, also known as cavities or caries, is the breakdown of teeth due to acids produced by bacteria. The cavities may be a number of different colors from yellow to black. Symptoms may include pain and difficulty with eating. Complicatio ...
and
gingivitis Gingivitis is a non-destructive disease that causes inflammation of the gums. The most common form of gingivitis, and the most common form of periodontal disease overall, is in response to bacterial biofilms (also called plaque) that is attache ...
. Bee balm is a natural source of the antiseptic compound
thymol Thymol (also known as 2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol, IPMP), , is a natural monoterpenoid phenol derivative of ''p''-Cymene, isomeric with carvacrol, found in oil of thyme, and extracted from ''Thymus vulgaris'' (common thyme), ajwain, and vario ...
, the primary active ingredient in some modern commercial
mouthwash Mouthwash, mouth rinse, oral rinse, or mouth bath is a liquid which is held in the mouth passively or swilled around the mouth by contraction of the perioral muscles and/or movement of the head, and may be gargled, where the head is tilted back ...
formulas. The Winnebago used a bee balm tisane as a general stimulant. Bee balm was also used as a
carminative A carminative, also known as carminativum (plural carminativa), is a herb or preparation intended to either prevent formation of gas in the gastrointestinal tract or facilitate the expulsion of said gas, thereby combatting flatulence. Name The wor ...
herb by Native Americans to prevent excessive
flatulence Flatulence, in humans, is the expulsion of gas from the intestines via the anus, commonly referred to as farting. "Flatus" is the medical word for gas generated in the stomach or bowels. A proportion of intestinal gas may be swallowed environm ...
.Tilford, G. L. ''Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West''. An
infusion Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time (a process often called steeping). An infu ...
of crushed, boiled ''Monarda'' has been used to treat headache and fever. Although somewhat bitter due to the thymol content in the leaves and buds, the plant tastes like a mix of
spearmint Spearmint, also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint, is a species of mint, ''Mentha spicata'' (, native to Europe and southern temperate Asia, extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east. It is na ...
and
peppermint Peppermint (''Mentha'' × ''piperita'') is a hybrid species of mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in many regions of the world.Euro+Med Plantba ...
with
oregano Oregano (, ; ''Origanum vulgare'') is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. It was native to the Mediterranean region, but widely naturalised elsewhere in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Oregano is a woody perennial pl ...
. Bee balm was traditionally used by Native Americans as a
seasoning Seasoning is the process of supplementing food via herbs, spices, salts, and/or sugar, intended to enhance a particular flavour. General meaning Seasonings include herbs and spices, which are themselves frequently referred to as "seasonings". H ...
for wild
game A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...
, particularly birds. The plants are widespread across North America and can be found in moist meadows, hillsides, and forest clearings up to in elevation.


Cultivation

''Monarda'' plants thrive in sun and moist but well-drained soil. Plants growing in partial shade spread horizontally and produce fewer flowers. ''Monarda'' are used in beds and borders to attract
hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics ...
s, pollinating insects, and insects that control garden pests. They are prone to developing
powdery mildew Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants. Powdery mildew diseases are caused by many different species of ascomycete fungi in the order Erysiphales. Powdery mildew is one of the easier plant diseases to identify, as ...
in high humidity, especially if planted in a place without good air circulation. There are over 50 commercial
cultivars A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...
whose hybrid colors range from dark red mahogany to bluish lilac to multiple shades of pink. These are generally not as robust as wild species. Some hybrids have been developed to produce high levels of essential oil for use as flavoring or medicine.


AGM cultivars

The following cultivars have gained the
Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ( ...
's
Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...
: * 'Beauty of Cobham' (pink) * 'Gardenview Scarlet' * 'Marshall's Delight' (pink) * 'Squaw' (red) * 'Talud' (pink) The UK National Collection of Monardas is held at Glyn Bach Gardens at Pont Hywel, Efailwen, near Llandissilio in Pembrokeshire.


Ecology

''Monarda'' species are used as food plants by the
larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...
e of some
Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...
species, including case-bearers of the genus ''
Coleophora ''Coleophora'' is a very large genus of moths of the family Coleophoridae. It contains some 1,350 described species. The genus is represented on all continents, but the majority are found in the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Many authors hav ...
''. '' Coleophora monardae'' feeds only on ''Monarda'' plants, and '' C. heinrichella'' and '' C. monardella'' only feed on the species ''M. fistulosa''.


Taxonomy

''Monarda'' is in the
tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...
Mentheae of the
subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...
Nepetoideae Nepetoideae is a subfamily of plants in the family Lamiaceae. , the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website (APweb) accepted the following genera: The format of the authorities is not the IPNI standard. *'' Acanthomintha'' (A. Gray) Bentham & J. D. Hooker ...
in the mint family.
Molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
studies of this tribe have been poorly sampled, and relationships within it remain unclear.Ryding, P. O. 2010. Pericarp structure and phylogeny of tribe Mentheae (Lamiaceae). ''Plant Systematics and Evolution'' 285(3-4), 165–75. The genera '' Blephilia'' and '' Pycnanthemum'' are close relatives of ''Monarda'', but they might not be the closest. ''Monarda'' is divided into two distinct
subgenera In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...
, ''Monarda'' and ''Cheilyctis''.Scora, R. W. 1967. Interspecific relationships in the genus ''Monarda'' (Labiatae). ''University of California Publications in Botany'' 41(1), 1–71. These are easily distinguished by several characters.


Species

Species in the genus include: * '' Monarda bartlettii'' Standl. - Tamaulipas, Veracuz * '' Monarda balmettii'' Nutt. - fools balm - northwest United States * '' Monarda bradburiana'' L.C.Beck – eastern beebalm - mid Mississippi Valley * '' Monarda citriodora'' Cerv. ex Lag. – lemon beebalm, lemon-mint - southern United States, northern Mexico * '' Monarda clinopodia'' L. – white bergamot, basil beebalm - eastern United States, especially Appalachians * '' Monarda clinopodioides'' A.Gray – basil beebalm - Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana * '' Monarda didyma'' L. – Oswego tea, scarlet beebalm, fragrantbalm, mountain-mint - eastern United States, especially Appalachians, eastern Canada * '' Monarda eplingiana'' Standl. - Coahuila * ''
Monarda fistulosa ''Monarda fistulosa'', the wild bergamot or bee balm,Wild Bergamot
, Edmonton Naturalization Group< ...
'' L. – wild bergamot, mintleaf beebalm, horse-mint, purple beebalm - widespread across most of United States + Canada; Tamaulipas, Nuevo León; cultivated in China and elsewhereFlora of China Vol. 17 Page 223 拟美国薄荷 ni mei guo bo he ''Monarda fistulosa'' Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 22. 1753.
/ref> * '' Monarda fruticulosa'' Epling – spotted beebalm - southern Texas * '' Monarda humilis'' (Torr.) Prather & J.A.Keith - New Mexico * '' Monarda lindheimeri'' Engelm. & A.Gray ex A.Gray – Lindheimer's beebalm - Texas, Louisiana, southwestern Arkansas * '' Monarda luteola'' Singhurst & W.C.Holmes - northeastern Texas, southwestern Arkansas * '' Monarda maritima'' (Cory) Correll – seaside beebalm - coastal plain of Texas * '' Monarda media'' Willd. – purple bergamot - Ontario, eastern United States * '' Monarda × medioides'' W.H.Duncan - Georgia, Indiana ''(M. fistulosa × M. media)'' * '' Monarda pectinata'' Nutt. – plains beebalm, pony beebalm, spotted beebalm - central + southwestern United States (Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, southwestern desert mountains) * '' Monarda pringlei'' Fernald - Nuevo León * '' Monarda punctata'' L. – spotted beebalm, dotted monarda, horse-mint - Quebec, Ontario, eastern + south-central United States, California, northeastern Mexico * '' Monarda russeliana'' Nutt. ex Sims – redpurple beebalm - Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky * '' Monarda stanfieldii'' Small – Stanfield's beebalm - central Texas * '' Monarda viridissima'' Correll – green beebalm - east-central Texas


Formerly placed here

* '' Blephilia ciliata'' (L.) Benth. (as ''M. ciliata'' L.) * '' Blephilia hirsuta'' (Pursh) Benth. (as ''M. ciliata'' Pursh)


References

; Secondary sources *


External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q157665 Lamiaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus