Calamintha sylvatica

Calamintha sylvatica, the wood calamint[1] or woodland calamint,[2] is a species of herb in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to Western Europe and North Africa, and has been introduced into the United States.

Wood calamint
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Calamintha
Species:
C. sylvatica
Binomial name
Calamintha sylvatica
Bromf.

Description

Wood calamint is a tufted, hairy, mint-scented perennial herb with an upright habit and few branches. It grows to a height of around 60 cm (2 ft). The leaves are dark green, stalked and grow in opposite pairs. The leaf blades are ovate with rounded teeth and are larger than those of common calamint (Clinopodium ascendens). The lipped flowers are also larger and darker, with the corolla lobe at least twice as long as the hairy calyx.[3]

Distribution and habitat

Wood calamint is native to Western Europe and North Africa. Its range extends from France and Germany south to Spain and Algeria, and it also known from Northern Syria.[2] In Britain, it is limited to a single site in the Isle of Wight, where it grows in ancient deciduous woodland on a chalk soil.[1] It has been introduced into the United States where it has become naturalised in California and Virginia.[4]

Uses

The leaves of wood calamint can be infused to make an aromatic herb tea. They can also be added to cooked foods, imparting a pungent, aromatic flavour that has been described as being a combination of the flavours imparted by marjoram and mint.[2] The plant is also used as an ornamental for garden cultivation, and will attract butterflies and bees.[5]

The plant has also been used medicinally, as a diaphoretic and an expectorant, and to settle the stomach. It can be added to cough medicine, often in combination with yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris). It is also used to treat fever, insomnia and depression.[2]

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References
  1. "Rowridge Valley SSSI" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  2. "Calamintha sylvatica - Bromf". Plants for a Future. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  3. McClintock, David; Fitter, R.S.R. (1961). The Pocket Guide to Wild Flowers. London: Collins. p. 154.
  4. "Calamintha sylvatica Bromf. ssp. ascendens". Plants Database. USDA. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  5. "Calamintha sylvatica". GardensOnline. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
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