Cultivation and Care Methods for Common Apple Mint and Variegated Pineapple Mint
Apple Mint (common green) / Variegated Pineapple Mint Scientific name: Mentha suaveolens Family and genus: Lamiaceae, mint group Classification: Apple Mint has 2 varieties, one is common green Apple Mint, the other is its variegated variety, also known as Variegated Pineapple Mint
Apple Mint (common green) / Variegated Pineapple Mint
Scientific name: Mentha suaveolens
Family and genus: Lamiaceae, mint group
Classification: Apple Mint has 2 varieties, one is common green Apple Mint, the other is its variegated variety, also known as Variegated Pineapple Mint. Common green Apple Mint can be grown from seed; the variegated variety is propagated only by cuttings, and if it flowers, sets seed, and is sown, it reverts to common green Apple Mint.
Morphological characteristics: Perennial herbaceous plant. Leaf margins toothed, covered with soft hairs; the whole plant gives off the aroma of apples. The whole plant is fresh-scented and aromatic. Leaves opposite, flowers small and pale purple, labiate, after flowering producing small dark purple-brown fruits.
Ecological habits: Mostly grows in mountain wetlands and by rivers, on moist forest edges, in sunny places with fertile soil; rhizomes creep underground.
Cultivation and care: A warm-temperate to subtropical plant. Propagated by sowing, division or cuttings. Fast propagation speed. Strong adaptability, easy, low-input management. Cultivated throughout northern and southern China.
Medicinal value: Mint is one of the commonly used traditional Chinese medicines. It is a pungent, cooling diaphoretic and antipyretic medicine, used to treat influenza, headache, red eyes, fever, sore throat, swollen and painful gums, and other conditions. For external use it can treat neuralgia, skin itching, rashes and eczema, etc. Mint harvested from greenhouses in spring is also a fresh vegetable on the Spring Festival table. Refreshing and tasty. Usually mint is used as a tea, clearing the heart and brightening the eyes. Legend says the original name of mint comes from Greek mythology.
Mint Mentha haplocalyx Briq. Mint illustrated guide: how to grow mint / how to propagate mint
Mint profileMint Mentha haplocalyx Briq.
How to grow mint and precautions; an introduction to mint
Mint is also known as wild mint and night-rest fragrance. A perennial herbaceous plant, mostly growing in mountain wetlands and by rivers, with rhizomes creeping underground. The whole plant is fresh-scented and aromatic; flowering period July-September, fruiting period October. It grows in moist places by water, at altitudes up to 3500 m; it is also distributed in tropical Asia, the Soviet Far East, Korea, Japan and North America (south to Mexico).
Mint is a perennial herbaceous plant, mostly growing in mountain wetlands and by rivers, with rhizomes creeping underground. The whole plant is aromatic, leaves opposite, flowers small and pale purple, labiate, after flowering producing small dark purple-brown fruits. Mint likes warm, humid conditions and a sunny environment with abundant rainfall. Produced throughout northern and southern China, it grows in moist places by water, at altitudes up to 3500 m; it is also distributed in tropical Asia, the Russian Far East, Korea, Japan and North America (south to Mexico). Mint is one of the commonly used traditional Chinese medicines; it is a pungent, cooling diaphoretic and antipyretic medicine that can treat influenza, headache, red eyes, fever, sore throat, swollen and painful gums, and other conditions. For external use it can treat neuralgia, skin itching, rashes and eczema, etc.
Morphological characteristics of mint
Mint is a perennial herb, stems erect, 30-60 cm tall, the lower several nodes bearing fine fibrous roots and horizontal creeping rhizomes, sharply four-angled, with four grooves, the upper part covered with backward-pointing fine soft hairs, the lower part with fine soft hairs only along the angles, much branched.
Leaf blades oblong-lanceolate, lanceolate, elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, rarely oblong, 3-5 (7) cm long, 0.8-3 cm wide, apex acute, base cuneate to nearly rounded, margin above the base sparsely bearing large tooth-like serrations, lateral veins about 5-6 pairs, slightly sunken above and prominent below along the midrib, green above; densely covered with fine soft hairs along the veins and sparsely elsewhere, or nearly hairless except on the veins, pale green above, usually densely covered with fine soft hairs along the veins; petiole 2-10 mm long, concave above and convex below, covered with fine soft hairs.
Verticillasters axillary, outline spherical, about 18 mm in diameter at flowering, stalked or stalkless, when stalked the stalk up to 3 mm long, covered with fine soft hairs; pedicels slender, 2.5 mm long, covered with fine soft hairs or nearly hairless. Calyx tubular-campanulate, about 2.5 mm long, outside covered with fine soft hairs and glandular dots, inside hairless, 10-veined, inconspicuous, calyx teeth 5, narrowly triangular-subulate, apex long-acuminate, 1 mm long. Corolla pale purple, 4 mm long, outside slightly covered with fine soft hairs, inside below the throat covered with fine soft hairs, corolla limb 4-lobed, upper lobe apex 2-lobed, larger, the other 3 lobes nearly equal in size, oblong, apex obtuse. Stamens 4, the front pair longer, about 5 mm long, all exserted beyond the corolla, filaments filiform, hairless, anthers ovate, 2-celled, cells parallel. Style slightly exceeding the stamens, apex nearly equally 2-cleft, lobes subulate. Disc flat-topped. Nutlets ovoid, yellowish brown, with small glandular pits. Flowering period July-September, fruiting period October.
I. Roots
In the mint cultivated for production, the parts with true absorptive function are the numerous fibrous roots borne on the underground portion of the aboveground erect stems and on the nodes of the underground rhizomes; these roots penetrate to a depth of about 30 cm, and are most concentrated in the topsoil layer at about 15-20 cm; in addition, under conditions of relatively high humidity between plants, many aerial roots also grow on the basal nodes and internodes of the aboveground erect stems; these aerial roots die off on their own in dry weather, so they play almost no role in the growth and development of mint.
II. Stems
1. Aboveground stems: The aboveground stems of mint can be divided into two types. One is called the erect stem, square, its color varying by variety, either green or purple. Its main function is to bear leaves, produce branches, and connect roots and leaves, transporting water and nutrients absorbed by the root system from the soil to the leaves, and at the same time transporting the products of leaf photosynthesis to the roots as a conducting channel; it has nodes and internodes, leaves are borne on the nodes, and branches grow out from the leaf axils. Although the stem surface also has a small number of oil glands, the essential oil content is extremely low (the oil yield of fresh stems is 0.001%-0.004%). The other is called the creeping stem; it is formed by the buds on the basal nodes of the aboveground erect stems sprouting and then growing horizontally, and it also has nodes and internodes, each node bearing two opposite bud scales and latent buds, growing prostrate on the ground, sometimes its tip also burrows into the soil and continues to grow for a period, after which the terminal bud again emerges from the soil surface and sprouts into a new shoot; in other cases the terminal bud of the creeping stem directly sprouts, develops leaves and grows upward to become a branch. The color, number, length and thickness of creeping stems often vary with variety and growing conditions.
2. Underground stems, also called underground rhizomes, resemble roots in appearance, so they are customarily called seed roots. Usually when the aboveground erect stems have grown to a certain height (about 8 nodes), rhizomes begin to grow from the stem base in the shallow soil layer, and then gradually increase. After the first harvest, under suitable moisture conditions these underground rhizomes sprout and emerge again (i.e. the second-cut seedlings), and after growing to a certain stage they produce new seed roots again, which become the material for autumn planting. The underground rhizomes also have nodes and internodes, fibrous roots grow from the nodes, and each node also has two opposite bud scales and latent buds; their horizontal spread can reach about 30 cm, while their vertical depth into the soil is relatively small, mostly concentrated within about 10 cm of the soil surface layer. Experiments show that under natural conditions the underground rhizomes have no dormancy period, that is, when soil temperature and moisture are suitable, they can germinate and continue to grow at any time of the year, developing into plants.
The underground rhizomes store water and nutrients; under suitable conditions, when planted in the soil they can germinate and grow into new plants, and these new plants can basically retain the original morphology and good traits of the variety; therefore, they are the main part used for propagation in production.
III. Leaves
The leaves of mint are borne on the stem nodes in an opposite arrangement. The shape, color, thickness of the leaves, as well as the leaf surface condition and the density of marginal serrations, vary with variety, growth stage and growing conditions. Generally speaking, leaf shapes include ovate, elliptic, etc.; leaf colors include green, dark green and grayish green, etc. The leaves of mint are both the organs of photosynthesis and the main sites for storing essential oil. The distribution of oil glands (oil-storing structures) on the upper and lower epidermis of the leaves is greater on the lower epidermis. The number of oil glands per unit leaf area varies with variety, and is also related to the plant's growth stage, leaf age and leaf position.
The greater the density of oil glands on a given leaf area, the higher the oil content. The essential oil content in the leaves accounts for more than 98% of the total oil content of the whole plant, but for each individual leaf, its oil content is closely related to environmental conditions, cultivation techniques, variety, the position of the leaf and leaf age. According to measurements, the oil content in the leaves on the plant gradually increases from bottom to top. The level of oil yield per unit area depends first on the number of leaves per unit area, the leaf area size and the level of oil content (oil gland density). Therefore, in production practice, how to increase the number of leaves, reduce and delay leaf shedding, and prevent damage from diseases and pests has become an important link in increasing mint yield.
IV. Branching
The branching of mint grows out from the latent buds in the leaf axils of the main stem, and these also bear opposite leaves. The branching ability of different varieties is different; at the same time, the number of branches, branch length, branch node position, etc. are also related to field population density and cultivation management measures. Generally speaking, as field population density increases, the number of branches per plant decreases and the branching node position rises. Poor cultivation conditions, especially a lack of fertilizer and water, can also affect branching. Therefore, in cultivation, how to control a reasonable field density according to the variety's branching habits, soil fertility, fertilization level and other conditions is one of the important measures for obtaining high yield. Mint -- flowers and leaves, photographed at the Hundred Herbs Garden of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
V. Flowers, Fruits, Seeds
The flowers of mint are relatively small; the base of the calyx is united into a bell shape, with five triangular teeth above; the corolla is pale red, pale purple or milky white, with four lobes united at the base; a normal flower has four stamens (some varieties have stamens not exserted or only traces remaining), borne on the corolla wall; one pistil, the style apex 2-cleft, extending beyond the corolla. Normal flowers (i.e. with both pistils and stamens) are relatively large; those with stamens not exserted or only traces remaining have smaller flowers. Under natural growth conditions, it flowers once a year. Under artificial cultivation conditions, however, it is generally harvested twice a year and flowers twice (with exceptions for some varieties and some regions); the flowering period varies with variety and region. The peak flowering time within a day often changes with climatic conditions.
If the weather is clear, generally from 6-9 a.m., postponed on cloudy or rainy days, and opening stops in the afternoon. Mint generally cannot set seed by self-pollination; it must rely on wind or insects for cross-pollination to set seed. Usually it takes about 10-15 days from budding to flowering, and about 20 days from the opening of a flower to seed maturity. The seed-setting rate varies with variety and environmental conditions. A single flower can set at most four seeds, stored in the bell-shaped calyx. The fruit is a nutlet, oblong-ovate, the seeds very small, pale brown, with a 10,000-grain weight of only about 1 g, and about 5 million seeds per jin.
Ecological habits of mint
Mint has strong adaptability and can grow in areas below 2100 m altitude; it grows in moist places by water, at altitudes up to 3500 m, and is cultivated in sunny areas at altitudes of 300-1000 m. With insufficient light and continuous cloudy and rainy days, the content of mint oil and menthol is low.
Mint likes a mild and humid environment; the aboveground part can withstand temperatures above 30°C, and at -20°C the aboveground part withers; the suitable growth temperature is 20-30°C; the roots are relatively cold-tolerant and can still overwinter at -30°C; the early and middle growth stages need abundant rainfall, while the budding stage and flowering stage need sufficient sunlight; dry weather and long sunshine hours lead to higher accumulation and content of mint oil and menthol.
Mint roots penetrate 30 cm into the soil, mostly concentrated in the soil layer at about 15 cm; the underground rhizomes are distributed relatively shallowly, all concentrated at about 10 cm of the soil layer. Mint flowers from late July to early August; 10-15 days from budding to flowering, and 20 days from flowering to seed maturity. After the first cut, mint can still flower after October. It has no strict requirements for soil and can generally grow, but pH 5.5-6.5 is suitable. Sandy loam, loam and humus soil can all be used for cultivation.
Mint cultivation techniques: site selection and land preparation
It has no strict requirements for soil and can be cultivated in all soils except those that are too acidic or too alkaline. Choose scattered land with irrigation and drainage conditions and sufficient light, such as beside ponds, houses and canals, with fertile soil and flat terrain being preferable. Sandy soil, land with insufficient light, and land prone to drought and water accumulation are not easy to cultivate. Land where mint has been grown must lie fallow for about 3 years before it can be planted again. This is because residual underground roots affect yield. Prepare the land and plow deeply, apply decomposed compost, farmyard manure and superphosphate, bone meal, etc. as base fertilizer at 37500-45000 kg per hectare, harrow fine, shallowly hoe once, turn the fertilizer into the soil, break up the soil, rake level and make beds 200 cm wide.
Seedling raising and propagation
Seedling raising
1. Rhizome propagation: Cultivate seed roots in late April or late August. In the field, select robust plants free of pests and diseases as mother plants, and plant at a spacing of 20×10 cm. After harvesting the aboveground stems and leaves in early winter, the rhizomes are left in place as seed stock.
2. Division propagation: When mint seedlings are about 15 cm tall, thin and fill in the seedlings. Use the thinned seedlings for division and transplanting.
3. Cutting propagation: In May-June, cut the aboveground stems and branches into 10 cm long cuttings, and on a prepared seedbed carry out cutting propagation at a row spacing of 7×3 cm, then transplant to the field for cultivation after rooting and sprouting.
Transplanting
1. Transplant mint in early spring of the second year before it has sprouted; early planting leads to early sprouting, a long growth period and high yield. When planting, dig up the rhizomes, select robust rhizomes with short internodes and no disease as seed roots, cut them into 7-10 cm long segments, then on the prepared bed surface open furrows 10 cm deep at a row spacing of 25 cm. Place the seed roots obliquely in the furrows at a plant spacing of 10 cm, cover with fine soil, tread firm and water.
2. Pinching and topping: In May, when the plants are growing vigorously, promptly remove the terminal buds to promote the growth of side branches, stems and leaves, which is beneficial for increasing yield.
Field management
Checking seedlings and filling gaps
After the field has basically full stands, promptly check the seedlings and fill in and replant missing or sparse spots and patches.
Intertillage and weeding
After full stands, carry out intertillage and weeding between rows and manual weeding between plants, in order to preserve soil moisture, increase (soil) temperature, eliminate weeds and promote seedling growth. Carry out intertillage and weeding 2-3 times before row closure. Before harvest, pull out all weeds in the field to prevent the odor of other weeds from affecting the quality of mint oil.
In March-April, when the seedlings are 10 cm tall, and after the transplanted seedlings have survived, carry out intertillage and weeding once. Before row closure, shallowly hoe twice; harvest the first time in July, and immediately hoe a third time slightly deeper and remove excess rhizomes; after 2-3 years the land needs to be changed for transplanting. In spring of the 2nd-3rd year, when the seedlings are 12-15 cm tall, transplant the seedlings, and in conjunction with intertillage remove overly dense seedlings, leaving one seedling every 6-10 cm; thereafter carry out intertillage and weeding as in the first year.
Timely topdressing
When the seedlings are 10-15 cm tall, open furrows and apply topdressing, applying 10 kg of urea per mu; after row closure, spray twice per mu with 5 ml of Shibao plus 150 g of potassium dihydrogen phosphate plus 150 g of urea.
Topdressing should be applied at each intertillage and weeding and when harvesting the mint stems, mainly nitrogen fertilizer, together with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer; cake fertilizer gives good results. If nitrogen fertilizer alone is applied, it causes the plants to grow excessively and the leaves to become thin. Generally apply about 2250 kg of human and animal manure per hectare, or about 195 kg of ammonium sulfate. Apply less fertilizer at the seedling stage and late stage, and more at the branching stage; if it is still to be used for harvesting medicinal material the following year, after harvest apply additional stable manure, pen manure or smoked soil.
Scientific watering
Mint needs more water in the early and middle stages, especially in the early growth stage when the root system has not yet formed; it needs more water, generally watering once about every 15 days, and 4-5 waterings from emergence to harvest. After row closure, water lightly and appropriately to avoid rampant growth of stems and leaves, lodging, and shedding of lower leaves, which reduces yield. Stop watering 20-25 days before harvest.
Drainage and irrigation
Mint fields should be watered before Qingming and immediately after the aboveground stems are cut; watering in dry weather is the key to ensuring a bumper harvest. In July-August, water in the morning and evening during high temperatures. Although mint likes moisture during the growing period, it is afraid of water accumulation; poor drainage leads to uneven emergence and many diseases. Ensure that when the rain stops, the water in the ditches runs off completely.
Pinching
If the plants grow very sparsely and the density is low, pinch off the terminal buds at noon on a sunny day in May, removing them from the top two layers of young leaves, and apply chemical fertilizer or human and animal manure and urine to promote new shoots; plots with high density must not be pinched.
Harvesting and processing
Whether the mint harvest time is appropriate is closely related to yield. Mint is generally harvested 2 times, and in a few places 3 times. In July (Minor Heat-Great Heat), it must absolutely not be later than Great Heat, otherwise it affects the yield of the second-cut mint. The second cut is in October (Cold Dew-Frost's Descent); both harvests can be used medicinally. If it is used to extract mint oil, use the first-cut mint. It is suitable to harvest at the early flowering stage, when 3-5 whorls of flowers have opened. The content of mint oil and menthol in mint is high when there is sufficient sunshine (continuous clear days, leaves thick, edges rolled back and drooping, a blue sheen on the leaf surface, giving off a unique strong aroma; at this time the oil and menthol content is highest), and low during continuous cloudy and rainy days. Harvest on a clear day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cut the stems and leaves evenly at ground level with a sickle; also gather up the fallen underground leaves to extract oil or menthol, or immediately spread them out in a concentrated way in the shade to dry; if there are no shade-drying conditions, they can also be sun-dried. Turn them once every 2-3 hours; after drying for 2 days, tie them into small bundles, aligning the leaf-bearing parts of each plant within the bundle. After tying, cut them with a fodder chopper 3 cm below the leaves, cut off the lower leafless stalks, arrange them in a fan shape and continue sun-drying. Avoid rain and night dew; move them indoors at night and spread them out to prevent deterioration. If the quantity is small, dry until 70-80% dry, tie into small bundles and hang in the shade to dry. Relevant materials report that fresh mint contains 0.8%-1.0% oil, and dried stems and leaves contain 1.3%-2%. Mint bundles are packed with bamboo mats for storage and transport, and kept in a cool, dry place to prevent dampness and mildew.
Mint growing methods and key cultivation points
Temperature
Mint has strong adaptability to temperature; its rhizomes overwinter and can withstand low temperatures of -15°C. Its optimum growth temperature is 25°C-30°C. When the temperature is below 15°C growth is slow, and above 20°C growth accelerates. At 20°C-30°C, as long as water and fertilizer are suitable, the higher the temperature, the faster the growth.
Light
Mint is a long-day plant and likes sunlight. Long sunshine can promote mint flowering and is favorable for the accumulation of mint oil and menthol.
Soil
Mint has no very strict requirements for soil; except for soil that is too sandy, too clayey, too strongly acidic or alkaline, or low-lying and poorly drained, it can generally be planted in ordinary soil, with sandy loam and alluvial soil being preferable. The suitable soil pH is 6-7.5.
Cultivation precautions
1. For propagation, select robust mother plants free of pests and diseases, make their creeping stems come into close contact with the ground, and after adventitious roots form at the stem nodes, cut each node apart; each divided plant is one seedling. Spray the seedling surface with Xin Gao Zhi Mo to prevent pathogen infection, improve resistance to natural disasters, and protect the seedlings so they grow robustly.
2. After transplanting the seedlings, spray the seedling surface with Xin Gao Zhi Mo to effectively ensure that aboveground moisture does not evaporate and that the seedling body does not transpire, and to isolate pests and diseases.
3. After planting, water thoroughly to keep the soil moist and promote the formation and survival of new roots. After the seedlings recover, promptly carry out intertillage and weeding to keep the soil surface loose and free of weeds, and to avoid soil compaction. To prevent branches and leaves from shading each other, promptly guide the growth direction of the aboveground stems and underground stems so that they do not become crowded. Also spray vegetable stem-strengthening agent at the appropriate time so that the plant stems are thick and strong, the leaves are thick, the leaf color is fresh and tender, and the plants are luxuriant with a strong natural taste. At the same time, it can improve disaster resistance, reduce the amount of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and lower residual toxicity.
4. For control, apply targeted pesticides against various pests and diseases, and spray Xin Gao Zhi Mo to enhance the control effect.
Propagation methods of mint
Mint can be propagated by rhizome propagation, division propagation, cutting propagation and other methods.
1、Rhizome propagation
Cultivate seed roots in late April or late August. In the field, select robust plants free of pests and diseases as mother plants, and plant at a spacing of 20×10 cm. After harvesting the aboveground stems and leaves in early winter, the rhizomes are left in place as seed stock.
2、Division propagation
When mint seedlings are about 15 cm tall, thin and fill in the seedlings. Use the thinned seedlings for division and transplanting.
3、Cutting propagation
In May-June, cut the aboveground stems and branches into 10 cm long cuttings, and on a prepared seedbed carry out cutting propagation at a row spacing of 7×3 cm, then transplant to the field for cultivation after rooting and sprouting.
Disease control of mint: disease control
The main disease of mint is black shank, which occurs at the seedling stage; the symptoms are shrinkage and sunken blackening and rotting at the stem base, and the plants lodge and wither. For control, during the disease period apply 100-150 g per mu of 70% chlorothalonil or 40% carbendazim, diluted with water and sprayed.
Mint rust, prone to occur from May-July, spray leaves with 25% triadimefon 1000-1500 times dilution.
Leaf spot disease, occurring from May-October; spray 65% zineb 500 times dilution at the early stage of the disease, once a week, to bring it under control.
Pest control
The main pest of mint is the "bridge-making worm", with damage periods around mid-June and late August. Generally when the pest density reaches 10 insects/sq m, apply 15-20 ml of Decis per mu, spraying 1-2 times, or spray 80% dichlorvos 1000 times dilution.
Pests and diseases in detail
Rust
A disease caused by a fungus. It occurs from May-October and is likely to develop in rainy periods. At first, orange-yellow, powdery summer spore masses appear on the underside of the leaves. Later, winter spore masses appear, dark brown, powdery, and in severe cases the leaves wither and fall off.
Control methods
Spray with 1:1:200 Bordeaux mixture; spraying should be stopped one week before harvest.
Leaf spot disease
Also called mint white star disease, it is a disease caused by a fungus. It occurs on the leaves from May-October. At first, nearly circular spots, very small, dark green, appear on both sides of the leaves; later the spots enlarge, nearly circular, 0.2-0.4 cm in diameter, or form irregular spots, dark brown. The interior of old spots fades to grayish white, appearing white-star-like, with small black dots on them, and sometimes a dark brown band still surrounds the spots. In severe cases the leaves wither and fall off.
Control methods
Spray with 65% zineb wettable powder 500-600 times dilution (80% zineb wettable powder 800 times dilution) or 1:1:200 Bordeaux mixture. Spraying should be stopped 20 days before harvest.
Black cutworm
In spring, black cutworm larvae bite through mint seedlings, causing missing and broken seedlings.
Control methods
① For each 1/15 hectare, use 2 kg of 2.5% trichlorfon powder, mix with 15 kg of fine soil, scatter around the plants, and combine with intertillage so that the poisoned soil is mixed into the soil, which can protect the seedlings.
② For each 1/15 hectare, use 0.1 kg of 90% crystalline trichlorfon and 5 kg of roasted fragrant rapeseed cake (or cottonseed cake) to make poisoned bait, scatter it in the field to trap and kill them.
③ Hand-collect larvae in the early morning.
Silver Y moth
The larvae feed on mint leaves, biting them into holes or notches. Damage occurs from May-October, with the most severe damage from early June to the first cut harvest.
Control methods
Spray to kill with 90% crystalline trichlorfon 1000 times dilution.
Tobacco cutworm
The larvae feed on mint leaves from August-October. Control methods are the same as for the Silver Y moth.
Variety classification of mint
According to differences in stem color and leaf shape, mint can be divided into two types: the purple-stem purple-vein type and the green-stem type.
Purple stem and purple veins
At the seedling stage the stem is purple; in the middle and late stages the middle and lower parts of the stem are purple or pale purple, and the upper stem is green. At the seedling stage the leaves are elliptic, and in the middle and late stages oblong. The leaf veins are purple at the seedling stage; in the middle and late stages the veins of the middle and lower leaves show obvious purple, while the veins of the upper leaves are pale green. At the seedling stage the leaves are dark green or slightly purple, with shallow, sparse, purple marginal serrations; in the middle and late stages the leaves are green. The corolla is pale purple, the stamens are not exserted, most varieties have a low seed-setting rate, and growth vigor and branching ability are relatively weak; the underground stems and fibrous roots penetrate shallowly, there are relatively many creeping stems exposed on the ground surface, stress resistance is poor, and volatile oil yield is unstable, but the quality is good, with a high menthol content in the oil.
Green stem
At the seedling stage the stem base is purple and the upper part green; in the middle and late stages the stem base is pale purple and the middle and upper parts green. The leaf veins are pale purple or greenish white, slightly sunken. At the seedling stage the leaves are round or ovate, and in the middle and late stages elliptic. At the seedling stage the leaves are green, and in the middle and late stages the leaves appear dark green. The corolla is white with a slight blue tint, and both pistils and stamens are present; most varieties have a high seed-setting rate, the underground stems and fibrous roots penetrate deeply, there are fewer creeping stems exposed on the ground surface, branching ability and stress resistance are strong, and volatile oil yield is relatively stable, but the oil quality is not as good as the purple-stem type.
There are about 30 species of Mentha plants in the world
Mint includes 25 species; apart from a few that are annual plants, most are aromatic perennial plants. At present the main producing area is the United States, and the best mint is produced in the United Kingdom. The stems are about 90 cm long, the hairy leaves are serrated, the flowers are terminal, bearing purple, white and pink flower spikes. China currently has 12 species, and the wild ones include pepper mint, European mint, spearmint round-leaved mint and clinopodium mint, etc.
Peppermint: the flower spikes are purple, and the plant grows 30-90 cm tall.
Apple mint: the whole plant is covered with fine hairs, the leaves are round and have an apple fragrance, hence the name; the plant grows 60-90 cm tall.
Spearmint: the flower spikes are white, the fragrance is mild, the leaf veins are prominent, and the plant grows 60-100 cm tall.
Pennyroyal: the flower spikes are pink, it is relatively sensitive to cold, and the plant grows 10-40 cm tall.
Pineapple mint: the leaves have powdery green spots; because of its beautiful, attractive appearance it is often grown as an ornamental, and the plant grows 10-50 cm tall.
Lemon balm mint: also known as lemon balm, the plant grows about 50-80 cm tall; it is a perennial herbaceous plant, very cold-hardy and easy to grow; its flowers and leaves are used to make tea and have the functions of relaxing the mood, helping sleep and promoting digestion.
Common mint varieties
Forest mint, lemon mint, Australian mint, Japanese mint, Canadian mint, bee balm, Dutch mint, pennyroyal, pineapple mint, Asian mint, apple mint, Hart's pennyroyal, Corsican mint, calamint, American mint, Xing'an mint, round-leaved mint, peppermint, gray mint, northeast mint, European mint, catnip
Distribution range of mint
Mint is widely distributed in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and is found throughout China. It is cultivated in many places across China, among which Jiangsu and Anhui are traditional authentic production areas, but the cultivated area is decreasing day by day. It also occurs in tropical Asia, the Russian Far East, Korea, Japan and North America (south to Mexico).
Mint often grows in damp places beside water, at elevations up to 3500 m; it is also distributed in tropical Asia, the Soviet Far East, Korea, Japan and North America (south to Mexico).
Dietary or medicinal value of mint
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Edible value
Mint has both medicinal and edible functions; the main edible parts are the stems and leaves, and it can also be juiced and taken. In terms of food use, mint can serve as a seasoning and also as a spice, and can also be used in wine, tea, etc. Every 100 grams of dried mint contains 9.6 grams of water, 6.8 grams of protein and 31.1 grams of fiber, and provides 870.7 kilojoules of energy.
For example: mint porridge, effects: refreshes the mind, dispels wind and clears heat, improves appetite, helps digestion.
Mint tofu, effects: can treat symptoms such as wind-cold nasal congestion, sneezing and runny nose.
Mint chicken shreds, effects: clears internal heat and relieves summer heat.
Mint cake, effects: cooling, dispels wind and clears heat, soothes the throat.
Fresh mint crucian carp soup, effects: can treat chronic cough in children.
Mint soup, effects: detoxifies and clears internal heat.
Mint herbal iced tea, after drinking it the whole body feels comfortable and energy is doubled.
In addition, mint stems and leaves have a special fragrance and can be used to make chewing gum, toothpaste, etc., with the effects of cooling and refreshing and clearing internal heat.
In addition, mint can produce honey; the honey is dark in color, deep amber, and has a strong special mint odor.
Cabbage with mint
Main ingredients: 300 grams of cabbage, 30 mint leaves, 85 grams of onion, 3 oranges, 5 grams of chopped celery, 10 grams of almonds, 60 grams of hawthorn cake. 100 grams of lettuce oil, 10 grams of white vinegar, 75 grams of white granulated sugar, 50 grams of baking powder batter, 3 grams of nutmeg powder, and an appropriate amount of salt.
Characteristics: white and yellow dual colors, sweet and sour dual flavors, a blend of Chinese and French styles.
Production method: 1. Wash the cabbage, cut it into fine shreds, soak it in water for 5 minutes, take it out and drain it; then cut the onion crosswise into slices, the thinner the better, sprinkle with salt and rub it, soak it in cold water for 2 minutes, take it out and drain it; then peel the oranges and cut them crosswise into thin slices 2 mm thick; wash the celery, trim it, and chop it into fine pieces; apri
cot kernels, peel and chop.
2. Mix the white granulated sugar, white vinegar, nutmeg powder (sold in Chinese medicine shops) and salt evenly, mix with the cabbage shreds, onion slices and orange slices, then place on one side of the plate.
3. Cut the hawthorn cake into pieces the size of mint leaves, each 5 mm thick, 15 pieces in total; use two mint leaves (sold in Chinese medicine shops) to sandwich 1 piece of hawthorn, then coat with baking powder batter and fry in oil heated to 70% hot until golden brown, remove and drain the oil; on one side of the fried mint-leaf piece, pierce two holes with chopsticks, but do not pierce through; place the side with holes facing up, sprinkle with granulated sugar (the purpose of piercing holes is to make the sugar stick), and place on the other side of the plate.
4. Place the cooked chopped celery in the middle of the plate, and it is ready.
Note: For the 50 grams of baking powder batter, dissolve the baking powder in 400 milliliters of warm water, add an appropriate amount of flour and mix evenly.
Mint tea fragrant ribs
Ingredients: pork ribs. Accessories: mint, cilantro, scallion, chili, ginger. Seasonings: salt, monosodium glutamate, sugar. Production process: Step 1: Boil an appropriate amount of mint to make mint water. Cut the scallion and ginger into shreds, and cut the chili and cilantro into sections for later use.
Step 2: Cut the selected pork ribs into small sections, then soak them for 20 minutes in a mixed liquid of mint water and glutinous rice fragrant tea water.
Step 3: Take out the soaked rib sections, add a little homemade chili water and an appropriate amount of soy sauce on top, then sprinkle with salt, sugar and monosodium glutamate, and marinate for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Put base oil in the wok; the amount should not be too small. Put the marinated rib sections into the wok and fry; when they are almost falling off the bone, add the prepared scallion shreds, chili sections, cilantro sections and ginger shreds and other accessories; when the accessories are fried dry, the ribs are also done and can be taken out of the wok.
Dish characteristics: This dish is a new method created by the chef after careful study of the Yunnan dish "deep-fried ribs", and belongs to the private-home-cooking series.
Medicinal value
Mint is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine in China; the young stem tips can be eaten as a vegetable, and the whole plant can also be used as medicine. It treats cold and fever, sore throat, headache, red painful eyes, muscle pain, skin wind-rash itching, incomplete eruption of measles and other conditions. In addition, it is also effective for carbuncles, deep-rooted boils, scabies, ringworm and lacquer sores. Mint contains menthol, a substance that can freshen breath and has many medicinal properties; it can relieve abdominal pain and gallbladder problems such as spasms, and also has antiseptic and bactericidal, diuretic, phlegm-resolving, stomach-strengthening and digestion-promoting effects. Eating a large amount of mint can cause insomnia, but eating it in small doses helps sleep.
Brief description of the drug
Other names: Su mint, water mint, fish fragrant herb, rendan herb, mint vegetable, wild mint, yexixiang, southern mint, water mint, fish fragrant vegetable, dog meat fragrance, water motherwort, jiegu herb, earth mint, rendan herb, wild rendan herb, Su mint, mint vegetable, five-spice, etc.
Nature and flavor: pungent, cool.
Meridian entry: enters the lung meridian and liver meridian.
Effects: disperses wind-heat, clears the head and eyes, benefits the throat and promotes eruption, soothes the liver and moves qi.
Main indications: dispels wind, clears heat, eliminates foul turbidity, detoxifies, externally contracted wind-heat, headache, swollen and painful throat, food stagnation and qi distension, mouth sores, toothache, sores and scabies, hidden rashes, early stage of warm disease, wind-rash itching, liver qi stagnation, chest tightness and rib-side pain.
Usage and dosage: Internal use: decoct in water (not for a long time), 0.8-2 qian; or make into pills or powder.
External use: pound the juice or decoct the juice and apply.
Oral medicines mainly include: Rendan, Shidishui, Huoxiang Zhengqi Shui, cough syrup, antispasmodic and analgesic tincture, Weitongning oral liquid, Baohou tablets, throat lozenges, etc.;
External medicines mainly include: cooling oil, safflower oil, white flower oil, essential balm, prickly heat water, anti-itch gel, anti-itch water, prickly heat powder, calamine lotion, Wuji ointment, Piyanping ointment, Shangshi Zhitong plaster, nasal sniffing agents, etc.;
Injections mainly include: compound mint injection, compound lidocaine hydrochloride injection, etc.;
Contraindications
1. Those with yin deficiency and blood dryness, hyperactivity of liver yang, or exterior deficiency with profuse sweating should not take it.
2. Toxic side effects: menthol and mint oil have a strong paralytic effect on mammals; if taken in excess, they can cause respiratory paralysis and death. Therefore, the dosage used in medicines must not exceed the prescribed limit (apart from medicinal use, generally no more than 2 mg/kg body weight per person per day).
3. Yao Xing Lun: people newly recovered from illness should not eat it, as it causes incessant weak sweating.
4. Qianjin Shizhi: it triggers wasting-thirst disease.
5. Benjing Fengyuan: taking it much and for a long time makes people feel cold and deficient internally; those with yin deficiency fever and cough with spontaneous sweating should not use it.
6. Bencao Congxin: its pungent aroma attacks qi; taking much damages the lungs and heart, and the deficient should avoid it.
Mint's effects, uses and social functions
1. Food additive
Adding a tiny amount of mint flavoring to some foods, pastries, candies, alcoholic drinks and beverages gives an obvious, pleasant aromatic cooling smell, and can promote digestion and improve appetite.
Candies and pastries used as food additives mainly include cooling mint cake, stomach-strengthening Bazhen cake, mint candy, palm-leaf cone candy, chewing gum, throat lozenges, etc.; alcoholic drinks and beverages using mint products mainly include mint wine, mint tea, mint dew, mint cooling drinks, and mint honey water with sobering effects, etc.
2. Tobacco flavor corrector
Adding menthol when flue-curing tobacco can obviously weaken the pungent, irritating taste of tobacco, making it milder and more elegant, with a stronger mouthfeel, and more suitable for women and the elderly to smoke.
3. Daily chemical flavoring and bactericidal agent
It is used in relatively large amounts in oral cleaning products such as toothpaste, tooth powder and mouthwash, and is also used in small amounts in skin-care cosmetics and washing products such as cold cream, shaving cream, aftershave, floral water, perfume, toilet soap, facial cleanser, facial mask, shampoo paste, shampoo, hand sanitizer, body wash and sunscreen: adding an appropriate amount of menthol oil to household hygiene products such as air fresheners, sanitary disinfectants, insecticides, face towels, sanitary napkins, deodorizing and bactericidal insoles, health-care underwear and bedding not only achieves the effect of cooling and fragrance, but also has the wonderful use of sterilization and disinfection.
4. Application prospects
With the progress of society and the continuous improvement of people's living standards, the uses of mint series products will also become increasingly extensive. Over the past ten years or more, products such as shampoos, body washes and toilet soaps with a small amount of menthol and mint oil added have been favored by people; aromatherapy using mint essential oil to calm the mind and eliminate fatigue has gradually become popular; in particular, new mint series products such as menthol and its derivatives and complexes - menthyl salicylate, menthyl anthranilate, etc. - have also been widely used in sunscreen cosmetics, hair regrowth essence, anti-wrinkle creams, lotions, scar remedies, and some weight-loss health products. In addition, according to the latest medical research results published abroad, mint oil produced in China has a unique anti-cancer effect.
Application progress
1. Anti-cancer: According to a BBC report, British scientists recently discovered that a kind of mint leaf commonly found in traditional Chinese medicine has a special effect in treating cancer. Mint leaves can block the growth of blood vessels at cancerous lesions, so that the tumor cannot get a blood supply and eventually "starves" to death. A professor at the University of Salford in the UK said he hopes that a drug made from mint leaves can enter clinical application as soon as possible.
2. Anti-viral: Chen Zuji and others pointed out in their research that mint decoction can inhibit herpes simplex virus infection, but increasing the infection dose eliminates the inhibitory effect. Foreign reports say that the water extract of the same genus plant mint has an inhibitory effect on herpes simplex virus, vaccinia virus, Semliki Forest virus and mumps virus, but is ineffective against influenza.
3. Promoting transdermal absorption: Foreign studies show that menthol can significantly promote the transdermal absorption of acetaminophen, has a significant absorption-promoting effect on triamcinolone acetonide, can increase the bioavailability of Bupleurum, and can significantly promote the transdermal absorption of paracetamol. This transdermal absorption-promoting effect may be because menthol changes the structure of stratum corneum lipids and thereby changes the drug's transdermal permeability.
4. Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory: Wang Wei and others used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to analyze the components of mint essential oil. Among the 21 identified components, isophorone (41.22%), β-caryophyllene (10.01%), spathulenol (2.89%), β-pinene (1.45%) and eucalyptol (1.13%) were the main components. The antibacterial activity of mint essential oil was studied using the agar diffusion method and the microbroth dilution method. The results showed that Bacillus subtilis and Proteus produced the largest inhibition zones.
5. Effects on the central nervous system: Studies show that subcutaneous administration of menthol can promote mouse activity in a dose-dependent manner, and its promotion of mouse activity may be related to dopamine. Animal experiments show that menthol has a protective effect on the brain. Both round-leaved mint oil and European mint oil have central inhibitory effects and can significantly prolong the sleep time induced by sodium pentobarbital; menthol has a certain dose-effect relationship with the central inhibitory effect of pentobarbital. [3]
Cultural background of mint: plant culture
Pluto Hades fell in love with the beautiful nymph Menthe, which aroused the jealousy of Hades' wife Persephone. In order to make Hades forget Menthe, Persephone turned her into an inconspicuous little plant growing by the roadside and trampled by everyone. But after the strong and kind-hearted Menthe became a little plant, she nevertheless possessed a comfortable, cool and charming fragrance, and the more she was trampled and broken, the stronger it became.
Although she had become a little plant, she was loved by more and more people. People called this plant mint (Mentha).
Mint is a plant full of hope. In life, it is inevitable that there are many missed people or things, and there is almost no chance to meet, become close to and love each other again, but the less there is, the more one misses it. Although mint is a plain flower, its taste is refreshing to the heart, and the coolness seeps into the skin from every pore; every cell in the body feels clear, and that is a very happy feeling that gives a bit of comfort to those who have once lost something. Therefore, the flower language of mint is "may I meet you again" and "love me once more."
In addition, it also has a flower language of "a person of virtue."
Historical culture
Both the Romans and the Greeks liked the taste of mint. During festivals, they would also weave mint into garlands and wear them on their bodies. The Egyptians had the practice of using packages of mint together with anise and fennel as tribute. American Indians used mint to treat pneumonia. Mint has a very strong bactericidal and antibacterial effect; drinking it often can prevent viral colds and oral diseases and keep the breath fresh. Rinsing the mouth with mint tea can prevent bad breath. Steaming the face with mint tea mist also has the effect of shrinking pores. Applying brewed tea leaves to the eyes gives a cooling sensation and can relieve eye fatigue. It is said that mint also has the alternative name "eye herb" and can be used to treat eye diseases.
Origin of the name
There are more than 500 mint varieties, among which the best known are black peppermint and spearmint; the rest include apple mint, orange mint, perfume mint, etc., most of which are named for their unique aroma.
Literature discussion
1. Gangmu: Mint, being pungent, can disperse; being cool, it can clear and disinhibit, and it specializes in dispelling wind and clearing heat. Therefore it is an important medicine for headache, head wind, eye, throat, mouth and tooth diseases, children's fright fever, as well as scrofula and sores and scabies.
2. Bencao Jingshu: Mint is more pungent than bitter and is non-toxic. Pungency corresponds to the lung, and the lung corresponds to the skin and hair; bitterness corresponds to the heart and transforms with fire, governs the blood vessels and governs heat; all are yang viscera. In pathogenic wind and cold damage, the pathogen is in the exterior, so sweating resolves it. Wind medicines have an ascending nature and are also pungent and warm, so they can disperse pathogens and repel evil. Its pungent aroma opens the orifices, so it treats abdominal distension and cholera. Shiliao cites it as able to remove heat from the heart, so it is an important guiding medicine for children's fright wind and wind-heat conditions. Its pungent aroma moves and disperses, thereby freeing the joints, so it expels pathogenic wind; sweating means the wind is resolved through sweat. It is not originally a spleen-stomach medicine, so how can it govern undigested retained food? Its ascending nature also makes it difficult for it to govern descending qi; fatigue belongs to deficiency and cannot be resolved by dispersion; all three treatments are incorrect, and the wise should distinguish them. Also: patients newly recovered should not take it, because it causes sweating and weakens exterior qi. If cough is due to lung deficiency with cold lurking and no heat symptoms, do not take it, because it should be treated by tonifying and will then heal. People with yin deficiency and fever should not take it, because sweating will further exhaust their fluids. Beriberi resembling cold damage should not be treated with it, because the disease is mainly below and belongs to the spleen. Blood-deficient headache cannot be used unless combined with blood-tonifying medicines. Body heat in children due to food damage cannot be used; body heat in children due to gan accumulation cannot be used. In children's smallpox with qi deficiency diagnosed, even if body heat has just begun, it also cannot be used.
3. Yaopin Huayi: Mint, being pungent in flavor, can disperse; being cool in nature, it clears, frees and disinhibits the meeting point of the six yang channels at the head, and removes wind pathogens of all kinds of heat. Taking advantage of its sharp, light and clear nature, it is good at moving through the head and face, and is used to treat loss of voice, treat mouth and teeth, and clear the throat. Together with Chuanxiong it reaches the vertex to guide out congested heat. Taking advantage of its fragrant qi and ability to open the orifices, it is good at moving through the skin and exterior, and is used to reduce floating swelling, dissipate muscle heat, eliminate back pain, and guide exterior medicines into the nutritive and defensive levels to soothe stagnant qi.
4. Bencao Xinbian: Mint is not only good at resolving wind pathogens? It is especially good at resolving depression. Using Xiangfu to resolve depression is not as miraculous as using mint to resolve depression. Mint enters the liver and gallbladder meridians and is good at resolving pathogens in the half-exterior half-interior, and is lighter and clearer than Bupleurum.
5. Bencao Qiuzhen: Mint has a pungent and cool odor and its action specifically enters the liver and lungs. Therefore books record that pungency can disperse, and it is suitable for headache, head wind, and fever with aversion to cold; pungency can move qi, and it treats evil qi in the heart and abdomen and phlegm binding; coolness can clear heat, and it is wonderful for the throat, mouth and teeth, eyes, ears, hidden rashes, sores and scabies, fright fever, bone-steaming, and nosebleed. Thus the ancient formula Xiaoyao uses it as a means to open depression and disperse qi; for children's fright epilepsy, it is used for its ability to diffuse wind and guide; for intestinal wind and bloody dysentery, it is used as a method to soothe qi and clear and disinhibit; however, one does not dare to use much, using no more than two or three fen, for fear that it may drain the primordial qi.
6. Benjing Xushu: If there is vomiting and purging, distension and fullness should be reduced; if qi is descended, retained food should move. If it is neither reduced nor moved, one should still treat by relaxing the middle, regulating qi, promoting digestion and directing downward. What is the use of mint? One may not know that the coolness of mint is much like that of cardamom and the like, and it can originally relax the middle, regulate qi, promote digestion and direct downward. It is only that its fragrance is outwardly emitted, unlike cardamom and the like which are inwardly stored, so its emphasis is on dispersion, and it is not specialized in treating the interior. If evil qi and retained food are already disturbing the interior, and still take root in the exterior, then without mint resolving the knot internally and thoroughly removing the root externally, how can both exterior and interior be completely eliminated?
7. Yixue Zhongzhong Canxi Lu: Mint is pungent in flavor, clear and richly fragrant, pungent and penetrating in nature, and neutral in nature. Its power can penetrate internally to the sinews and bones and externally reach the skin and exterior; it diffuses and frees the viscera and runs through the meridians. Taken, it can promote the eruption of cool sweat, and is an important medicine for warm diseases that should be resolved by sweating. If used in small amounts, it is also good at harmonizing internal injuries, treating pain caused by stagnation of liver qi and gallbladder fire, or internal stirring of liver wind with sudden epilepsy, convulsions and spasms, headache, eye pain, sinusitis, nasal congestion, pain on going out, swollen and painful throat, and contracture and pain of the limbs; all diseases of wind-fire and stagnated heat can be treated by it. For dysentery at the initial stage with an external contraction, it is also suitable to use it: dispersing the external contraction pathogen clears the heat in the intestines, and then the dysentery is easily cured. It is also good at disinfecting and killing bacteria and expelling evil qi, and is also an important medicine for all cholera and sha syndromes. Because its flavor is pungent and cool, it is also good at bringing out hidden rashes and healing skin itching, and is a commonly used product in pediatrics. For sweating in warm diseases, mint is used, just as ephedra is used for sweating in cold damage. Note that mint was originally called ke in ancient times and was used as a vegetable, not as medicine. Neither the Benjing nor the Bielu recorded it; it was first listed as a drug in the Tang dynasty, which is why none of the formulas in Shanghan Lun used mint. However, on careful examination of the formulas in Shanghan Lun, there are indeed formulas in which mint should have been used; because it had not yet been listed as a drug at that time, formulas that should have used mint had to use other medicines instead. Try discussing the formulas of Shanghan: for example, the ephedra in Maxing Ganshi Tang should be replaced with mint. Maxing Ganshi Tang originally treated sweating and panting without high fever; since it says without high fever, it is known that there is still heat. If there is heat and ephedra is still used, it is taken to drain the lung and calm panting; however, ephedra can drain the lung and calm panting, and mint can also drain the lung and calm panting (mint's pungency can suppress the excess of lung qi, and it is also good at searching out lung wind). Using ephedra to treat heat with heat is not as good as using mint to treat heat with coolness, is it? Again, the Gegen in all the Gegen decoctions can also be replaced with mint; Gegen originally releases the heat of the yangming channel in the exterior, but Gegen's coolness is not as good as mint's, and its exterior-releasing power is far inferior to mint's, so how does using Gegen compare with mint? This is not going against ancient teachings: when the ancients prepared formulas before drugs were complete, what they made inevitably had places that could not be entirely perfect; there is no other reason - the circumstances of the time limited them.
8. Bencao Zhengyi: Sun Xingyan compiled and printed the Bencao Jing and directly said that mint belongs to the Su category, which is indeed credible. Tang Bencao says it is pungent and warm, also treating it by the Su category analogy. However, its cold, sharp qi can disperse wind-heat, and it is definitely not a warm medicine, so Jiegu directly called it pungent and cool. As for its main indications, Tang Bencao says it treats pathogenic wind and cold damage, evil qi, heart and abdominal distension and fullness, cholera, undigested retained food, and descending qi, all of which are roughly similar to perilla, only that it is pungent and cool and descending, slightly different from the warm-dispersing ones.
9. Yao Xing Lun: removes angry qi, promotes toxic sweating, breaks blood and stops dysentery, and frees the joints.
10. Qianjin Shizhi: repels kidney qi and makes the mouth's breath fragrant and clean. Mainly repels evil toxins and removes fatigue.
11. Sun Simiao: decoct in water to wash lacquer sores.
12. Tang Bencao: mainly treats pathogenic wind and promotes sweating. (Treats) evil qi, abdominal distension and fullness. Cholera. Undigested retained food, descends qi.
13. Shiliao Bencao: pound the juice and take it to remove wind-heat from the heart.
14. Shixing Bencao: can guide all medicines into the nutritive and defensive levels. Treats yin-yang toxin and cold damage headache.
15. Rihuazi Bencao: treats stroke with loss of voice, and expels phlegm. Removes pathogenic wind. Treats heart and abdominal distension. Descends qi, dissolves retained food, and treats head wind, etc.
16. Bencao Tujing: treats wind damage, head wind, frees obstruction and blockage, and treats children's wind drool.
17. Bencao Yanyi: for children's fright wind and high fever, this must be used to guide medicines; to treat bone-steaming consumptive heat, use its juice with other medicines to make a paste.
18. Li Gao: mainly clears and disinhibits the head and eyes.
19. Wang Haogu: can search out liver qi. Also mainly treats excess of lung qi, shoulder and back pain, and wind-cold with sweating.
20. Yunnan Bencao: treats all cold damage headache, cholera with vomiting and diarrhea, and carbuncles, deep-rooted boils, scabies and various sores. Also: wild mint clears the head and eyes of all wind, stops headache, dizziness and fever, removes wind-phlegm, treats wind damage cough, brain leakage with foul nasal discharge, and reduces consumptive fatigue fever.
21. Gangmu: benefits the throat and treats all mouth and tooth diseases. Treats scrofula, sores and scabies, and wind itching and hidden rashes.
22. Bencao Shu: treats stroke, epilepsy, and damage from dryness and heat stagnation.
23. Yilin Zuanyao: heals toothache, stops heat cough, resolves depressive summerheat, stops thirst, stops bloody dysentery, and frees urination.
24. Bencao Zaixin: disperses eye film.
25. Bencao Xinbian: Mint is pungent and bitter in flavor, warm in qi, floating and ascending, yang in nature. Non-toxic. It enters the lung and pericardium meridians, and can also enter the liver and gallbladder. It descends qi and treats cold distension and fullness, resolves wind pathogen depression and binding, is good at guiding medicines into the nutritive and defensive levels, and can also reduce fever, but it disperses pathogens and consumes qi, and shares with Bupleurum the wonder of resolving disputes. Yet people in the world only know to use Bupleurum and do not know mint, because it is put into cakes and pastries, and they despise it as not being needed among medicines.
Flower language of mint
Flower language of mint: may I meet you again, and love me once more. In addition, it also has a flower language of "virtue", representing people's various beautiful virtues.
Mint is a plant full of hope. In life, it is inevitable that there are many missed people or things, and there is almost no chance to meet, become close to and love each other again, but the less there is, the more one misses it. Although mint is a plain flower, its taste is refreshing to the heart, and the coolness seeps into the skin from every pore; every cell in the body feels clear, and that is a very happy feeling that gives a bit of comfort to those who have once lost something.
Mint pictures