Mentha aquatica, Water Mint

Scientific Name: Mentha aquatica

Mentha aquatica, more commonly known as Water Mint, is an aromatic plant, growing to 80cm in height and possessing the characteristic minty smell.

Stem almost hairless, or weakly hairy. The leaves are short-stalked, oval and toothed. Flowers are stalked, either at the end of a stem or in the axils of the uppermost leaves, in fairly dense clusters. Calyx tube-shaped and five-lobed. Corolla 5-7 mm long with a ring of hairs in the tube and four even corolla lobes. There are four stamens, extending outside the corolla.

The flowering season is July to October. Habitat can be river banks, pool edges, wet meadows, wet woodland and marshes. Distributed commonly throughout most of the UK.

https://www.uknature.co.uk is a website dedicated to showing the immense diversity of UK nature and wildlife. Our vast range of habitats, from lowland arable to snow covered mountains, from storm-ravaged coastlines to peaceful inland freshwater lakes and rivers, from dry, sandy heaths to deciduous and coniferous forests, all these habitats contribute to the abundance of UK nature. We have wild birds in huge numbers either residing or visiting our shores (597 recorded species as at July 2013) and we must also not forget the humble back garden with its grass lawns, flower beds filled with nectar rich flowers, shrubs and trees, all designed to attract huge numbers of insects such as bees, moths, butterflies and hoverflies; and finally the small ponds which provide safe havens for frogs, toads, newts and even slow worms and grass snakes. www.uknature.co.uk is the showcase for my personal passion, photographing uknature in all its glory. I sincerely hope you all enjoy the fruits of my labours.