Minthostachys mollis

Familia: Lamiaceae
Subfamilia: Nepetoideae
Tribus: Mentheae
Subtribus: Menthinae
Genus: Minthostachys
Species: Minthostachys mollis
Varietates: M. m. var. hybrida – M. m. var. mandoniana – M. m. var. mollis
Name

Minthostachys mollis (Benth.) Griseb., Abh. Königl. Ges. Wiss. Göttingen 19: 235 (1874).
Synonyms

Basionym
Mentha mollis Benth., Labiat. Gen. Spec.: 182 (1833).
Heterotypic
Bystropogon mollis Kunth in F.W.H.von Humboldt, A.J.A.Bonpland & C.S.Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp. 2: 317 (1818), nom. illeg.

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Southern America
Regional: Western South America
Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru
Regional: Southern South America
Colombia, Venezuela

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

Grisebach, A.H.R. 1874. Plantae Lorentzianae. Bearbeitung der ersten und zweiten Sammlung argentinischer Pflanzen des Professor Lorentz zu Cordoba. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen 19: 49–279. BHL Reference page. : 19: 235

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.
Idárraga-Piedrahita, A., Ortiz, R.D.C., Callejas Posada, R. & Merello, M. (eds.) (2011). Flora de Antioquia: Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares 2: 1-939. Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2022. Minthostachys mollis 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 mollis. 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 mollis. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 25 Apr 2022.
International Plant Names Index. 2022. Minthostachys mollis. Published online. Accessed: Apr 25 2022.

Vernacular names
العربية: مینتستاچیس مولیس
español: muña
中文: 软薄荷穗

Minthostachys mollis is a medicinal plant restricted to the South American Andes from Peru Venezuela to Bolivia. It is the most variable and widely distributed species of the genus Minthostachys. It is known by the common names muña, tipo, tipollo, or poleo.[1]
Contents

Medicinal uses

In the indigenous medicine traditions of the Andes, the plant is made into tea and used medicinally as a carminative and aphrodisiac.
Etymology

Its common name "muña" comes from Quechua.
Chemical characteristics

The principal components of essential oil are as follows:

pulegone
menthone
menthol
(−)-β-pinene
(−)-α-pinene
limonene
isomenthone
piperic acid
eucalyptol
carvone

In the flowering tops 19 compounds were identified in the essential oil, predominantly 29% neomenthol, 24% menthone, 20% menthol, and 8% piperitone.[1]
References

Alkire, Ben (1994). "Tipo, Minthostachys mollis (Lamiaceae): an Ecuadorian mint". Economic Botany. 48 (1): 60–64. doi:10.1007/BF02901380. S2CID 5181013.