''Mentha longifolia'' var. ''asiatica'' is known by the common name Asian mint. It is a variety of the mint species '' Mentha longifolia''. It has also been treated as the separate species, ''Mentha asiatica'' and ''Mentha vagans''.

Taxonomy

''Mentha longifolia'' var. ''asiatica'' was first described as the species ''Mentha asiatica'' by Antonina Borissova in 1954. It was reduced to a variety of ''Mentha longifolia'' by

Karl Heinz Rechinger Professor Karl Heinz Rechinger Hon FRSE (16 October 1906, Vienna – 30 December 1998, Vienna) was an Austrian botanist and phytogeographer. Life Karl Heinz Rechinger was born in Vienna on 16 October 1906. He was the son of Dr Karl Rechinge ...

in 1954.

Distribution

''Mentha longifolia'' var. ''asiatica'' is native to Central Asia ( Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan), Western Asia ( Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq) and China ( South Central China, Tibet and Xinjiang).

Cultivation

Asian mint is a species of perennial herb that typically grows in full sun to partial shade. Asian mint prefers to grow in soil with adequate moisture retention year-round. It produces purple showy flowers that are fragrant. Unlike the other plants in the family Lamiaceace, Asian mint produces an unusual foliage color of leaves that are evergreen and opposites. Asian mint is suitable for wintersowing and handles well with transplanting. They do not typically come true from seed, similar to other mints, because mint seeds are highly variable and some varieties are sterile. An easier way to propagate is from cuttings from root, division, or even runners (stolons) from fully grown plants.

References

Flora of Central Asia Flora of Western Asia Flora of China longifolia var. asiatica Plants described in 1954 {{Lamiaceae-stub