''Pycnanthemum'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of herbaceous plants in the

mint family 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, sav ...

(Lamiaceae). Species in this genus are often referred to as "mountain mints" and they often have a minty or thyme-like aroma when crushed. All species of ''Pycnanthemum'' are native to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. The center of diversity for the genus is North Carolina with 13 of the 20 species having been collected therein. Nineteen of the 20 species of ''Pycnanthemum'' occur in the Eastern US and Canada, and one disjunct species ('' P. californicum'') occurs in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

. ''Pycnanthemum'' is derived from Greek. The Greek word "pyknos" has the meaning of "dense", "tight", or "close-packed". It was combined with "anthos" meaning flower to give the genus name. ''Pycnanthemum'' belongs to the true mint subtribe (Menthinae), and it has been shown to be closely related to the ''

Monarda ''Monarda'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae.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. ...

'', '' Blephilia'', and the scrub mints of the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...

. Relationships within the genus remain unresolved. A complicated history of polyploidization paired with cryptic morphologies makes this a challenging group for systematists.

Species

* '' Pycnanthemum albescens'' – white-leaved mountainmint – south-central US * '' Pycnanthemum beadlei'' – North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, eastern Tennessee, northern Georgia * '' Pycnanthemum californicum'' Torr. ex Durand – Sierra mint – California * ''

Pycnanthemum clinopodioides ''Pycnanthemum'' is a genus of herbaceous plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae). Species in this genus are often referred to as "mountain mints" and they often have a minty or thyme-like aroma when crushed. All species of ''Pycnanthemum'' are ...

'' Torr. & A.Gray – mid-Atlantic States, Tennessee, Indiana * '' Pycnanthemum curvipes'' – southeastern US * ''

Pycnanthemum flexuosum ''Pycnanthemum'' is a genus of herbaceous plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae). Species in this genus are often referred to as "mountain mints" and they often have a minty or thyme-like aroma when crushed. All species of ''Pycnanthemum'' are ...

'' – southeastern US * '' Pycnanthemum floridanum'' – Florida mountainmint – Florida, southern Georgia * '' Pycnanthemum incanum'' – hoary mountainmint, hoary basil, wild basil – Ontario, most of US east of the Mississippi River * '' Pycnanthemum loomisii'' – Loomis' mountainmint – southeastern US, Ohio Valley * †''

Pycnanthemum monotrichum ''Pycnanthemum'' is a genus of herbaceous plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae). Species in this genus are often referred to as "mountain mints" and they often have a minty or thyme-like aroma when crushed. All species of ''Pycnanthemum'' are ...

'' Fernald – Virginia but extinct * '' Pycnanthemum montanum'' – southern Appalachians * '' Pycnanthemum muticum'' – short-toothed mountainmint – much of eastern US from east Texas to southern Maine * '' Pycnanthemum nudum'' Nutt. – Coastal Plain mountainmint – southeastern US * '' Pycnanthemum pilosum'' ( = ''P. verticillatum'' var. ''pilosum'') – hairy mountainmint, whorled mountainmint * '' Pycnanthemum pycnanthemoides'' – southern mountainmint – southeastern US, Ohio Valley * '' Pycnanthemum setosum'' – awned mountainmint – southeastern + mid-Atlantic US * '' Pycnanthemum tenuifolium'' – little-leaved mountainmint, slender-leaved mountainmint (= ''P. flexuosum'' ) – Quebec, Ontario, eastern + central US * '' Pycnanthemum torreyi'' – Torrey's mountainmint – eastern + east-central US * '' Pycnanthemum verticillatum'' – whorled mountainmint – Quebec, Ontario, eastern + central US * '' Pycnanthemum virginianum'' – Virginia mountainmint – Quebec, Ontario, eastern + central US File:Pycnanthemum curvipes (14698304290).jpg, '' Pycnanthemum curvipes'' File:Pycnanthemum flexuosum 1zz.jpg, ''

'' File:Pycnanthemum incanum UGA1120218.jpg, '' Pycnanthemum incanum'' File:Pycnanthemum muticum (14945847337).jpg, '' Pycnanthemum muticum'' File:Pycnanthemum tenuifolium kz1.jpg, '' Pycnanthemum tenuifolium'' with ripening seed File:Pycnanthemum-virginianum.JPG, '' Pycnanthemum virginianum'' File:Wasp on Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum).jpg, A wasp on blooming Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum)

Footnotes

References

* (2007):

Germplasm Resources Information Network Germplasm Resources Information Network or GRIN is an online USDA National Genetic Resources Program software project to comprehensively manage the computer database for the holdings of all plant germplasm collected by the National Plant Germpla ...

&ndash
''Pycnanthemum''
Version of 2007-OCT-05. Retrieved 2011-FEB-18.

External links

Barbara Pleasant. The Herb Companion: Herb-To-Know: Mountain Mint.
* ttp://www.henriettes-herb.com/eclectic/kings/pycnanthemum.html Henriette's Herbal Homepage: ''Pycnanthemum''. {{Authority control Lamiaceae genera Flora of Northern America