Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Subfamily: Nepetoideae
Tribe: Mentheae
Genus: Mentha
Species: Mentha spicata L. subsp. spicata
Synonyms: Mentha aquatica var. crispa, Mentha cordifolia, Mentha crispa
Common names: Mint, winter mint, Spearmint (The name 'spear' mint derives from the pointed leaf tips).
Mentha spicata L. subsp. spicata is an exotic hybrid species of mint now fully naturalised in New Zealand and is found world wild. It grows in wet soils and is an invasive species.
It is a herbaceous rhizomatous perennial plant growing 30–100 cm tall, with variably hairless to hairy stems and foliage, and a wide-spreading fleshy underground rhizome.
The stems are square-shaped, a trademark of the mint family of herbs.
The leaves are lanceolate or narrow-elliptic +/- plane leaves. It is deciduous (they lose their leaves seasonally) in colder areas. Jan.–May mint flowers in slender spikes, each flower violet/purple.
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
