Species

Mentha cunninghamii

Etymology

Mentha: mint
cunninghamii: Named after Allan Cunningham (1791 – 1839) who was an English botanist and explorer, primarily known for his travels to Australia (New South Wales) and New Zealand to collect plants. Author of Florae Insularum Novae Zelandiae Precursor, 1837-40 (Introduction to the flora of New Zealand).

Common Name(s)

New Zealand mint, hihoi

Current Conservation Status

2012 - At Risk - Declining

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Qualifiers

2012 - DP

Authority

Mentha cunninghamii Benth.

Family

Lamiaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

MENCUN

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Mentha consimilis Colenso

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North, South, Chatham and Stewart Islands

Habitat

Coastal to alpine. Sparse component of grassland and other open places such as cliffs, river banks, lake sides, grey scrub, occasionally in swampy ground.

Features

Gynodioecious, rhizomatous to ± stoloniferous, perennial forming loose patches up to 300 mm across; stems sparse to numerous, very slender, purple to purple-red, puberulent (especially on angles), initially ± creeping, subscandent or ascending at tips, usually much branched. Leaves bright green to yellow-green, sessile or with short hairy petioles 2-4 mm long. Lamina 2-15 × 2-15 mm, broad-ovate to suborbicular, smooth, entire or shallowly crenate, gland-dotted, mostly glabrous except for nerves on lower surface; base broad-cuneate or truncate; apex rounded. Flowers axillary, fragrant, solitary or in clusters of 1-3; pedicels prominent, puberulent. Calyx 3-4 mm long, narrow-campanulate to campanulate, villous, gland-dotted; teeth narrow-triangular, ciliate, much < tube, acute. Corolla c.6 mm long, white, glabrous; tube not exserted; lobes spreading, subequal; uppermost lobe ± 2-fid. Stamens scarcely exserted. Nutlets 1.0-1.3 mm long, ± broad-ellipsoid, slightly angled, smooth.

Similar Taxa

Quite unlike any of the adventive Mentha species in NZ. When examining closely a sward of native turf-forming species, the presence of M. cunninghamii is often detected by its mint odour.

Flowering

October – April

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

October – June

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from rooted pieces and fresh seed. Needs full sun to flourish. Once established tolerant of a range of conditions. An attractive pot plant.

Threats

Habitat degradation by livestock, irrigation, drainage; weed competition

Chromosome No.

2n = 72

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

 

 

This page last updated on 8 Apr 2017