Minthostachys

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Lamiales

Familia: Lamiaceae
Subfamilia: Nepetoideae
Tribus: Mentheae
Subtribus: Menthinae
Genus: Minthostachys
Overview of species

M. acris – M. acutifolia – M. andina – M. diffusa – M. dimorpha – M. elongata – M. fusca – M. glabrescens – M. latifolia – M. mollis – M. ovata – M. rubra – M. salicifolia – M. septentrionalis – M. setosa – M. spicata – M. verticillata
Name

Minthostachys (Benth.) Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 9: 164 (1840).

Type species: Minthostachys spicata (Benth.) Epling

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Southern America
Regional: Southern South America
Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest
Regional: Western South America
Boliviaa, Ecuador, Peru
Regional: Northern South America
Colombi, Venezuela

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Spach, É. 1840. Histoire Naturelle des Végétaux. Phanérogames. Tome 9. 586 pp. Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret, Paris. BHL Reference page. : 9: 164.

Additional references

Govaerts, R.H.A. 2003. World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Database in ACCESS: 1-216203. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. [unavailable for the public] Reference page.
Schmidt-Lebuhn, A.N. (2009). Las especias Bolivianas de Minthostachys (Lamiaceae) Revista de la Sociedad Boliviana de Botánica 4: 225-244.
Schmidt-Lebuhn, A.N. (2008) Revision of the Genus Minthostachys (Labiatae), Memoirs of The New York Botanical Garden, 98: 1–77.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2022. Minthostachys in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2022 Apr 25. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2022. Minthostachys. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2022. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2022 Apr 25. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2022. Minthostachys. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 25 Apr 2022.
International Plant Names Index. 2022. Minthostachys. Published online. Accessed: Apr 25 2022.

Vernacular names
فارسی: مينثوستاشيس
മലയാളം: മിന്റോസ്റ്റാച്ചിസ്
中文: 薄荷穗属

Minthostachys is a genus of the mint family Lamiaceae, comprising aromatic scandent shrubs.[1] It occurs along the Andes from Northern Venezuela through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia to Central Argentina.[2][3]

Use and conservation

The plants are valued by the local population for their content in essential oils, mostly pulegone and menthone, but also limonene, carvone, carvacrol, thymol and similar substances. They are used as condiments, medicinally against illnesses of the respiratory and digestive systems, and traditionally for the protection of stored tubers against pests, especially in Southern Peru.[4] In Argentina and Peru, the essential oils are extracted commercially on a larger scale, and at least locally, this has led to overexploitation in recent years. Argentine researchers are looking for ways to protect Minthostachys or to take it into cultivation to meet increasing demand.[5]
Important species and common names

The best known species are Minthostachys mollis distributed from Venezuela to Bolivia and Minthostachys verticillata of Argentina. Many species have a relatively restricted distribution but are locally common, like Minthostachys acutifolia around La Paz and Minthostachys ovata in central Bolivia. The common names used by the people of the Andes usually do not differentiate between species, but vary by region. In Ecuador, the genus is called tipo or poleo, in northern Peru chancua, from central Peru to Bolivia muña, and in Argentina peperina is the most frequently used name.
Species

Currently recognized species[2]

Minthostachys acris Schmidt-Leb. - Peru
Minthostachys acutifolia Epling - Bolivia
Minthostachys andina (Britton ex Rusby) Epling - La Paz region of Bolivia
Minthostachys diffusa Epling - La Paz region of Bolivia
Minthostachys dimorpha Schmidt-Leb. - Peru
Minthostachys elongata Schmidt-Leb. - Tarija region of Bolivia
Minthostachys fusca Schmidt-Leb. - La Paz region of Bolivia
Minthostachys glabrescens (Benth.) Epling - Ecuador
Minthostachys latifolia Schmidt-Leb. - Peru, Bolivia
Minthostachys mollis (Benth.) Griseb. - Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Minthostachys ovata (Briq.) Epling - Bolivia
Minthostachys rubra Schmidt-Leb. - Ecuador
Minthostachys salicifolia Epling - Peru
Minthostachys septentrionalis Schmidt-Leb. - Venezuela, Colombia
Minthostachys setosa (Briq.) Epling - Bolivia
Minthostachys spicata (Benth.) Epling - Ecuador, Peru
Minthostachys verticillata (Griseb.) Epling - Argentina

References

Schmidt-Lebuhn, A.N. (2008). Revision of the genus Minthostachys (Labiatae). Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 98.
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
Schmidt-Lebuhn, A.N. (2009). Las especias Bolivianas de Minthostachys (Lamiaceae). Revista de la Sociedad Boliviana de Botánica 4: 225-244.
Schmidt-Lebuhn, A.N. (2008). Ethnobotany, biochemistry and pharmacology of Minthostachys (Lamiaceae). Journal of Ethnopharmacology 118: 343–353. [1]
Noticias Ambientales de la Provincia de Córdoba: Escasez de peperina, el yuyo cordobés