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| Online Flora of the Maltese Islands by Stephen Mifsud |
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Mentha pulegium (Peppermint) |
Mentha pulegium (LAMIACEAE.)
Images for this profile are taken from the Maltese Islands after year 2000.
Website launch: Oct-2002
Taxonomic update: Aug-2026
Code update: Jul-2026 |
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| Nomenclature and General Information |
Species name : |
Mentha pulegiumL.
Published in Sp. Pl. : 577 (1753) |
Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.) |
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Plant Family : |
Lamiaceae Lindl. (The Mint Family) Previously included in Labiatae
36 species from the Lamiaceae family are recorded from the Maltese Islands. | English name(s) : | Peppermint, Pennroyal Mint, European Pennyroyal |
Maltese name(s) : |
Plejju |
Status for Malta : |
Indigenous. Present on the Maltese islands before man |
Frequency : |
Very Common Common Frequent Scarce Rare Very rare Extinct |
Growth form : |
Germination type [info]: Dicotyledon
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: Hemicryptophyte ( perennial herbaceous plants with vegetative buds close to the ground ) |
Legal Protection : |
Not legally protected till the last update of this website (22/Aug/2025) |
Red List (1989) : |
Not listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands |
Flowering Time : |
April – July |
Colour of Flowers: |
Violet |
Toxicity: |
Mildy toxic, can cause adverse conditions if consumed in large quantities |
Name Derivation : |
Mentha: A name for an unfortunate Greek nymph named Minthe who got herself turned into a mint plant, and a genus of culinary herbs named after her, this is one of the oldest plant names still in use. (Greek origin); 2. Further Info: [1], [2].
pulegium: From the Latin word 'pulex', which means a flea-repellent. (Latin origin)
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Planting in rural areas : |
Can be planted in rural areas according to ERA Guidelines |
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Description, Habitat and Distribution | |
Botanical Description |
Subglabrous to tomentose perennial 10-40 cm, with pungent scent; stems procumbent to ascending. Leaves 8-30 x 4-12 mm, narrowly elliptical, attenuate at base, rarely suborbicular, shortly petiolate, entire or with up to 6 teeth on each side, hairy at least beneath. Bracts like the leaves, but usually smaller. Calyx (2-)2.5-3 mm; teeth ciliate, the lower subulate, the upper shorter and wider. Corolla (4-)4.5-6 mm, lilac. Stamens exserted or included; fertile anthers 0.4 mm. Nutlets 0.75 mm, pale brown. | |
Habitat in Europe |
Data will be available in the next update of this website.
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Preferred habitat in Malta |
Valley bottoms, damp shady places, cultivated or waste places near dams or watercourses.
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Chromosome number(s) |
2n=20 | |
Distributional range |
S., W. & C. Europe, northwards to Ireland and C. Poland, and extending to W. & S. Ukraine.
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Distributional maps from various sources |
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Occurrences in Europe
(from Flora Europaea till 1993) |
All except Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia and former USSR, N B C E Svalbard archipelago, Sweden
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Occurrences in Europe
(from Euro+Med Checklist till 2024)
Country codes
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AE(G) Ag Al Au Az Be Bl Br Bu By Ca Co Cr Cy Cz Eg Ga Ge Gr Hb He Ho Hs Hu IJ It Ju Li LS Lu Ma Md Po Rf(CS S) Rm Sa Si Tcs Tn Tu(A E) Uk(K U)
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| Links & Further literature
(0 papers) |
Google Web |
Google Images |
Google Scholar |
Research Gate |
Wikipedia |
JSTOR |
GBIF |
Med Checklist |
Cat. of Life |
EoL |
IPNI |
World Flora Online |
Plants of the World Online |
Vienna Virt. Herb. |
RBGE Herbarium |
KEW Herbarium |
MNHN |
Garden Database |
IUCN |
TROPICOS |
Kindly Email if there are papers and publications about local
studies or information about this species to be included in the list above.
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Sales and Donations
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Sales of seeds of wild plant from Malta: Seeds of selected wild plant species may be available for academic studies, research purposes, or personal use. Please note that not all species can be supplied or exported. Availability is subject to seasonal seed production, stock levels, and applicable regulations, including Maltese legislation and CITES requirements where relevant. Protected and endemic species cannot be sold (at least without the relevant environmental permits).
How it works: First, submit a quotation request by completing the Online Quotation Form (link provided on the right side of this table). Once your request has been reviewed, you will receive confirmation regarding seed availability, export eligibility (where applicable), pricing, and any transport charges. Payments are accepted by Revolut, bank transfer (IBAN), or PayPal only; credit and debit card payments are not accepted.
Please note that local orders are currently not being accepted. Seek Maltese nurseries and NGOs for local orders.
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Online Quotation (Seeds)
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Online Purchase (Images)
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Atlas Flora Europaea
GBIF Distribution Map
WFO Distribution map
