''Hyptis alata'', the musky mint or clustered bushmint, is a

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savory ...

, the ''mint family''. The genus ''

Hyptis ''Hyptis'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. These plants, known commonly as bushmints, are widespread in tropical North and South America, as well as parts of West Africa. There are 150 species, which may be annual or perenn ...

'' is commonly known as the bushmints. It is a native species throughout the

southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

from

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, as well as in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, southern

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, and

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> It is found in wetlands, prairies, pond margins and wet flatwoods. ''Hyptis alata'' is the southeastern United States analog to the

Southwestern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

deserts ''H. emoryi'', the

desert lavender ''Condea emoryi'' (synonym ''Hyptis emoryi)'', the desert lavender, is a large, multi-stemmed shrub species of flowering plant in Lamiaceae, the mint family. It is one of the favored plants of honeybees in early spring in the southwest deserts ...

.Photo-Flowers, close-up
- "Aquatic, Wetland, and Invasive Plants–''Hyptis alata''"USDA: NRCS: Plants Profile ''Hyptis alata''
;Varieties #''Hyptis alata'' subsp. ''alata'' - United States and Cuba #''Hyptis alata'' subsp. ''rugosula'' (Briq.) Harley - South America

References

alata Flora of the Southeastern United States Least concern plants Flora of Cuba Flora of South America Freshwater plants Plants described in 1817 {{Lamiaceae-stub