Bee balm

''Monarda'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae.Harley, R. M., et al. 2004. "Labiatae". pp 167-275 In: Kubitzki, K. (editor) and J. W. Kadereit (volume editor). ''The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants'' volume VII. Springer-Verlag: Berlin; Heidelberg, Germany. The genus is endemic to North America. Common names include bergamot, bee balm, horsemint, and oswego tea, the first being inspired by the fragrance of the leaves, which is reminiscent of bergamot orange (''Citrus bergamia''). The genus was named for the Spanish botanist Nicolás Monardes, who wrote a book in 1574 describing plants of the New World.

Description

''Monarda'' species include annual and perennial herbaceous plants. They grow erect to heights of . The slender, serrated, lanceolate leaves are oppositely arranged on the square stem, hairless or sparsely hairy, and about 7 to 14 centimeters long.

The flowers are tubular and bilaterally symmetric, with a narrow upper lip and a wider lower lip. The wild flowers are single, but some cultivated forms have double flowers. They are monoecious, with male and female structures in each flower. There are two stamens. Inflorescences occur at the top of the stem or emerge from the axils. They are typically crowded head-like clusters of flowers with leafy bracts. Flower color varies, with wild species bearing red, pink, and light purple flowers. '' M. didyma'' has bright carmine red flowers, '' M. fistulosa'' has pink, and '' M. citriodora'' and '' M. pectinata'' have pale purple. Hybrids occur in the wild, and they are common in cultivation. Seed collected from hybrids does not yield plants identical to the parent.

Uses

The crushed leaves of all species exude a spicy, fragrant essential oil. Of the species examined in one study, ''M. didyma'' contained the highest concentration of oil.

Several species, including ''Monarda fistulosa'' and ''M. didyma'', have a long history of use as medicinal plants by many Native Americans, such as the Blackfoot, Menominee, Ojibwa and Winnebago. The Blackfoot recognized the strong antiseptic action of the plants, and used them in poultices for skin infections and minor wounds. Native Americans and later settlers also used it to alleviate stomach and bronchial ailments. A tisane made from the plant was also used to treat mouth and throat infections caused by dental caries and gingivitis. Bee balm is a natural source of the antiseptic compound thymol, the primary active ingredient in some modern commercial mouthwash formulas. The Winnebago used a bee balm tisane as a general stimulant. Bee balm was also used as a carminative herb by Native Americans to prevent excessive flatulence.Tilford, G. L. ''Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West''. An infusion of crushed, boiled ''Monarda'' has been used to treat headache and fever.

Although somewhat bitter due to the thymol content in the leaves and buds, the plant tastes like a mix of spearmint and peppermint with oregano. Bee balm was traditionally used by Native Americans as a seasoning for wild game, particularly birds. The plants are widespread across North America and can be found in moist meadows, hillsides, and forest clearings up to in elevation.

Cultivation

''Monarda'' plants thrive in sun and moist but well-drained soil. Plants growing in partial shade spread horizontally and produce fewer flowers. ''Monarda'' are used in beds and borders to attract hummingbirds, pollinating insects, and insects that control garden pests. They are prone to developing powdery mildew in high humidity, especially if planted in a place without good air circulation.

There are over 50 commercial cultivars whose hybrid colors range from dark red mahogany to bluish lilac to multiple shades of pink. These are generally not as robust as wild species. Some hybrids have been developed to produce high levels of essential oil for use as flavoring or medicine.

AGM cultivars

The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:

* 'Beauty of Cobham' (pink)
* 'Gardenview Scarlet'
* 'Marshall's Delight' (pink)
* 'Squaw' (red)
* 'Talud' (pink)

The UK National Collection of Monardas is held at Glyn Bach Gardens at Pont Hywel, Efailwen, near Llandissilio in Pembrokeshire.

Ecology

''Monarda'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including case-bearers of the genus ''Coleophora''. '' Coleophora monardae'' feeds only on ''Monarda'' plants, and '' C. heinrichella'' and '' C. monardella'' only feed on the species ''M. fistulosa''.

Taxonomy

''Monarda'' is in the tribe Mentheae of the subfamily Nepetoideae in the mint family. Molecular phylogenetic studies of this tribe have been poorly sampled, and relationships within it remain unclear.Ryding, P. O. 2010. Pericarp structure and phylogeny of tribe Mentheae (Lamiaceae). ''Plant Systematics and Evolution'' 285(3-4), 165–75. The genera '' Blephilia'' and '' Pycnanthemum'' are close relatives of ''Monarda'', but they might not be the closest. ''Monarda'' is divided into two distinct subgenera, ''Monarda'' and ''Cheilyctis''.Scora, R. W. 1967. Interspecific relationships in the genus ''Monarda'' (Labiatae). ''University of California Publications in Botany'' 41(1), 1–71. These are easily distinguished by several characters.

Species

Species in the genus include:
* '' Monarda bartlettii'' Standl. - Tamaulipas, Veracuz
* '' Monarda balmettii'' Nutt. - fools balm - northwest United States
* '' Monarda bradburiana'' L.C.Beck – eastern beebalm - mid Mississippi Valley
* ''Monarda citriodora'' Cerv. ex Lag. – lemon beebalm, lemon-mint - southern United States, northern Mexico
* '' Monarda clinopodia'' L. – white bergamot, basil beebalm - eastern United States, especially Appalachians
* ''Monarda clinopodioides'' A.Gray – basil beebalm - Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana
* ''Monarda didyma'' L. – Oswego tea, scarlet beebalm, fragrantbalm, mountain-mint - eastern United States, especially Appalachians, eastern Canada
* '' Monarda eplingiana'' Standl. - Coahuila
* ''Monarda fistulosa'' L. – wild bergamot, mintleaf beebalm, horse-mint, purple beebalm - widespread across most of United States + Canada; Tamaulipas, Nuevo León; cultivated in China and elsewhereFlora of China Vol. 17 Page 223 拟美国薄荷 ni mei guo bo he ''Monarda fistulosa'' Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 22. 1753.
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* '' Monarda fruticulosa'' Epling – spotted beebalm - southern Texas
* '' Monarda humilis'' (Torr.) Prather & J.A.Keith - New Mexico
* '' Monarda lindheimeri'' Engelm. & A.Gray ex A.Gray – Lindheimer's beebalm - Texas, Louisiana, southwestern Arkansas
* '' Monarda luteola'' Singhurst & W.C.Holmes - northeastern Texas, southwestern Arkansas
* '' Monarda maritima'' (Cory) Correll – seaside beebalm - coastal plain of Texas
* '' Monarda media'' Willd. – purple bergamot - Ontario, eastern United States
* '' Monarda × medioides'' W.H.Duncan - Georgia, Indiana ''(M. fistulosa × M. media)''
* ''Monarda pectinata'' Nutt. – plains beebalm, pony beebalm, spotted beebalm - central + southwestern United States (Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, southwestern desert mountains)
* '' Monarda pringlei'' Fernald - Nuevo León
* '' Monarda punctata'' L. – spotted beebalm, dotted monarda, horse-mint - Quebec, Ontario, eastern + south-central United States, California, northeastern Mexico
* '' Monarda russeliana'' Nutt. ex Sims – redpurple beebalm - Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky
* '' Monarda stanfieldii'' Small – Stanfield's beebalm - central Texas
* '' Monarda viridissima'' Correll – green beebalm - east-central Texas

Formerly placed here

* '' Blephilia ciliata'' (L.) Benth. (as ''M. ciliata'' L.)
* '' Blephilia hirsuta'' (Pursh) Benth. (as ''M. ciliata'' Pursh)

References

; Secondary sources

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External links

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{{Taxonbar, from=Q157665

Lamiaceae genera
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus