Hairy mountain mint
Also known as: woods mountain mint, whorled mountain mint
Pycnanthemum verticillatum (Michx.) Pers. var. pilosum (Nutt.) Cooperrider
[=Pycnanthemum pilosum Nutt. ]
Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Erect, 4-sided, spreading soft-hairy, short-branched above.
- Leaves
- Opposite, sessile or lower leaves short-stalked, lanceolate or infrequently elliptic, 4/5 to 3 inches long, 1/6 to 3/5 inch wide, 4-7 pairs of lateral veins, upper surface nearly glabrous to soft-hairy, lower surface soft-hairy; margins entire or with few remote teeth, fringed with hairs; tip pointed to tapering pointed; base narrowly wedge-shaped.
- Inflorescence
- Head-like clusters, solitary to numerous, small, compact, 1/3 to 4/5 inch wide, woolly, terminal; bracts sub-tending flower clusters leaf-like, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 2/5 to 3/5 inch long; margins entire; tip pointed; outer bracts velvety above; inner bracts with conspicuous mid-vein, margins fringed with hairs.
- Flower
- Calyx tubular, 1/8 to 1/6 inch long, 5-toothed, white-woolly; teeth narrowly triangular, upper 3 teeth sometimes united at base; corolla much exceeding the calyx, 1/5 to 1/3 inch long, slightly 2-lipped, white to pale lavender; lower lip purple spotted, bent downward, 3-lobed, middle lobe larger than lateral lobes; upper lip erect, entire; stamens 4, nearly equal, projecting beyond corolla.
- Fruit
- Nutlets, 4, egg-shaped, brown, glabrous or tip slightly pubescent, each 1-seeded.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Open woods, rocky slopes, outcrops, thickets, prairies, stream valleys, and along railroads.
- Distribution
- East 1/5 of Kansas.
Additional Notes
Comments
Hairy mountain mint attracts bees.
Synonyms
Alternative scientific names that have been used for this plant.
Scientific Name: Pycnanthemum pilosum
Full Citation: Pycnanthemum pilosum Nutt.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Lamiaceae - Mint Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 2-4 feet
- Last Updated
- 2008-09-11
Color Groups
Flowering Period
Blooms: July, August, September