VMS -- Botany (f25r) Mint

["Dana F. Scott" <dfscott@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I had originally suggested that Triadenum virginicum looked like a good
match for the plant drawing in f25r; however, this met with some
challenge and I agreed that it merited further consideration for proper
identification. One thing that I noticed was that though painted over,
the leaves in the BW drawing in the VMS appeared to have serrated edges,
not smooth edges as seen in Triadenum virginicum.

Triadenum virginicum:
http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/dcs420/a/hdw23109902s.jpg

I have subsequently discovered that the mint plants have characteristics
that match favorably with the botanical drawing in f25r. At the moment,
I am particularly in favor of Mentha x piperita, though I do not know
when the hybrid cross between Mentha aquatica and Mentha spicata was
first made to develop the Peppermint plant. Suffice it to say for now
that the herbal drawing in f25r represents a variety of Mint plant.

Mentha x piperita var. officianalis (Lamiaceae) Peppermint

http://www.directomed.com/articulo/art/hierbas/menta.asp
http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=6205+3041+0702+0096
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Lamiaceae/Mentha_piperita.html
http://pharm1.pharmazie.uni-greifswald.de/gallery/framgall.htm
http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/schoepke/men-pi-1.jpg
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/m/mints-39.html#pep
http://www-ang.kfunigraz.ac.at/~katzer/engl/generic_frame.html?Ment_pip.html

http://www.iicm.edu/kochecke-ce;oid=0x811bc834_0x0004757d
http://www.herbs2stopsmoking.com/herbdesc/2pepperm.htm
http://www.valplantes.ch/mentha_x_piperita.html
http://ricolausa.com/virtual_garden/peppermint.htm
http://www.tupediatra.com/mnyy/med-natural/mnyy5.htm
http://home02.wxs.nl/~ruthcos/aroma/mint.html
http://davesgarden.com/plants/showimage/1180/index.html
http://lanaturaleza.hypermart.net/menta.htm
http://www.vitaminevi.com/Herb/Peppermint.htm
http://www.gnc.com/wellness/natpharm/Herb/Peppermint.htm
http://www.proliberty.com/observer/20000420.htm
http://www.sbherbals.com/0798HotM.html
http://www.betterlife.com/education/topic_249.html
http://www.herbalteas.org.uk/herbal_remedies/Peppermint.htm
http://www.vitaminworld.net/healthnotes/Herb/Peppermint.htm

Illustration:
http://www.healthlink.com.au/nat_lib/htm-data/htm-herb/bhp681.htm
http://home4.swipnet.se/~w-47128/efile4.html
http://www.augendiagnostik.de/Lexikon/Pfefferminze.htm
http://www.apotheke-tellingstedt.de/natapo/me-piper.htm
http://caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/~stueber/lindman/88.jpg

Regards,
Dana Scott