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Calamintha sylvatica
| Common name: |
Calamint |
Family: |
Labiatae |
| Author: |
Bromf. |
Botanical references: |
17, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
Satureja ascendens ((Jord.)Maly.), Calamintha sylvatica ascendens ((Jord.) P.W. Ball.), Calamintha officinalis (Auct.), Calamintha baetica (Auct.), Calamintha ascendens (Jord.) |
| Known Hazards: |
None known |
| Range: |
Western Europe, including Britain, from France and W. Germany south to Spain, Algeria and N. Syria. |
| Habitat: |
Dry grassy banks, usually on calcareous soils, from southern Britain north to Durham and Yorkshire[5, 17]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
3 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 2 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Acinos alpinus[H,HORTIPLEX]
Acinos vulgaris[H]
C. acinos[H]
C. alpina[H]
C. menthifolia[H]
C. officinalis auct. non[P]
C. sylvatica ssp. ascendens[B,P]
Clinopodium menthifolium[DUTCH]
Satureja alpina[H]
Satureja calamintha[H]
Satureja calamintha ssp. ascendens[B,P]
Satureja sylvatica ssp. ascendens[B,P]
Thymus acinos[H]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Basil Thyme [H], Bergsteentijm [D], Calamint [H], Calamintha [H], Mill Mountain [H], Mountain Balm [H], Mountain Mint [H], Woodland Calamint [P,B], Yabani Oguoltu [E], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
sylvatica = growing in the woods, wild;
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA
Plants Database |
|
Order: Lamiales. Renamed to Lamiaceae -- Mint family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
Turkey
|
Physical Characteristics
Perennial growing to 0.6m by 0.5m . It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees and insects.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
We rate it 3/5 for edibility and
2/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.
It requires dry or moist soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Woodland, Cultivated Beds, Dappled Shade.Edible Uses
Condiment; Tea.
A sweet and aromatic herb tea is made from the leaves[200]. Very
refreshing[4, 200].
Leaves - used as a flavouring in cooked dishes[177]. Pleasantly pungent and
strongly aromatic, the flavour is said to resemble a cross between mint and
marjoram[183].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Aromatic; Diaphoretic; Expectorant; Stomachic.
Calamint was commonly used as a medicinal herb in medieval times,
though is little used by modern herbalists[238]. It has very similar
properties to lesser calamint (C. nepeta) though is milder in its
actions[238]. It is sometimes cultivated as a medicinal herb for household
use.
The whole plant is aromatic, diaphoretic and expectorant[4]. The leaves are
harvested in July as the plant comes into flower and are dried for
storage[4]. An infusion is beneficial in cases of fevers, flatulent colic and
weaknesses of the stomach[4], it is also used to treat depression, insomnia
and painful menstruation[238]. Its expectorant action makes it a good cough
and cold remedy and it is of value for treating mild respiratory
infections[254]. It is best mixed with other herbs, especially yarrow
(Achillea millefolium) and Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)[254].
Calamint should not be prescribed for pregnant women since in excess it can
cause a miscarriage[238].
Other Uses
None known
Cultivation details
Succeeds in a well-drained dry to moist neutral to alkaline soil and a
sunny position[1]. Likes semi-shade[200].
Succeeds in a woodland garden[200].
Bees love the flowers of this plant[K].
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. It
usually germinates in 2 weeks at 21°c[138]. Prick out the seedlings when they
are large enough to handle and, if they grow sufficiently, plant them out
into their permanent positions in the summer otherwise wait until the
following spring.
Division in spring. Very easy, larger clumps can be planted direct into
their permanent positions. It is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them
on in a cold frame until they are well rooted before planting them out in the
summer.
Basal cuttings in May or June. They should be rooted in a sandy
compost[245]. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm long with
plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in
light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant
them out in the summer.
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
References for Acinos alpinus (a possible synonym).
References for Calamintha acinos (a possible synonym).
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
References for Calamintha ascendens (a possible synonym).
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
References for Calamintha officinalis (a possible synonym).
References for Calamintha sylvatica ssp. ascendens (a possible synonym).
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[5] Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974 ISBN 0-00-219060-5
Edible wild plants found in Britain. Fairly comprehensive, very few pictures and rather optimistic on the desirability of some of the plants.
[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
[138] Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
Readers Comments
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Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
Species Database.
Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963 This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Calamintha+sylvatica
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