Identification & Quality Standard
Herba Menthae
Botanical Origin
The dried aerial portion of Mentha haplocalyx Briq.(Lamiaceae).
Production Regions
Primarily produced in Chinese provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Sichuan.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material is dark green, leafy, potent aroma odor.
Macroscopic Features
Stems are squared columns, with opposing branches, 15~40cm long, 0.2~0.4cm diameter; externally purple brown or pale green, edges have hairs. Internodes are 2~5cm long. Brittle texture, fractured surface is white, with a hollow center at the pith. Opposing leaves with short stems, wrinkled and curved, wide lanceolate, long elliptical or oval shape after being flattened, 2~7cm long, 1~3cm wide; lower surface is grayish-green while upper surface is dark green, with few hairs with concave pointy glands. Verticillasters grow at the axils, bell-like calyx, with 5 breaches at the apex, corolla is pale purple. After being rubbed, it has a distinctive clear and cool aroma. Taste acrid and cool.
