Pycnanthemum
Introduction '''''Pycnanthemum''''' is a genus of herbaceous plants in the mint family (Lamiaceae). Species in this genus are often referred to as "mountain mints" and they often have a minty or thyme-like aroma when crushed. All species of ''Pycnanthemum'' are native to the United States and Canada. The center of diversity for the genus is North Carolina with 13 of the 20 species having been collected therein. Nineteen of the 20 species of ''Pycnanthemum'' occur in the Eastern US and Canada, and one disjunct species (''P. californicum'') occurs in California and Oregon. ''Pycnanthemum'' is derived from Greek. The Greek word "pyknos" has the meaning of "dense", "tight", or "close-packed". It was combined with "anthos" meaning flower to give the genus name. ''Pycnanthemum'' belongs to the true mint subtribe (Menthinae), and it has been shown to be closely related to the ''Monarda'', ''Blephilia'', and the scrub mints of the Southeastern United States. Relationships within the genus remain unresolved. A complicated history of polyploidization paired with cryptic morphologies makes this a challenging group for systematists.
Species * ''Pycnanthemum albescens''  – white-leaved mountainmint – south-central US* ''Pycnanthemum beadlei''  – North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, eastern Tennessee, northern Georgia* ''Pycnanthemum californicum'' Torr. ex Durand – Sierra mint – California* ''Pycnanthemum clinopodioides'' Torr. & A.Gray – mid-Atlantic States, Tennessee, Indiana* ''Pycnanthemum curvipes''  – southeastern US* ''Pycnanthemum flexuosum''  – southeastern US* ''Pycnanthemum floridanum''  – Florida mountainmint – Florida, southern Georgia* ''Pycnanthemum incanum''  –  hoary mountainmint, hoary basil, wild basil – Ontario, most of US east of the Mississippi River* ''Pycnanthemum loomisii''  – Loomis' mountainmint – southeastern US, Ohio Valley* †''Pycnanthemum monotrichum'' Fernald  – Virginia but extinct* ''Pycnanthemum montanum''  – southern Appalachians * ''Pycnanthemum muticum''  – short-toothed mountainmint – much of eastern US from east Texas to southern Maine* ''Pycnanthemum nudum'' Nutt. – Coastal Plain mountainmint – southeastern US* ''Pycnanthemum pilosum''  ( = ''P. verticillatum'' var. ''pilosum'') – hairy mountainmint, whorled mountainmint* ''Pycnanthemum pycnanthemoides''  – southern mountainmint – southeastern US, Ohio Valley* ''Pycnanthemum setosum''  – awned mountainmint – southeastern + mid-Atlantic US* ''Pycnanthemum tenuifolium''  – little-leaved mountainmint, slender-leaved mountainmint (= ''P. flexuosum'' ) – Quebec, Ontario, eastern + central US* ''Pycnanthemum torreyi''  – Torrey's mountainmint – eastern + east-central US* ''Pycnanthemum verticillatum''  – whorled mountainmint – Quebec, Ontario, eastern + central US* ''Pycnanthemum virginianum''   – Virginia mountainmint – Quebec, Ontario, eastern + central USPycnanthemum curvipes (14698304290).jpg|''Pycnanthemum curvipes''Pycnanthemum flexuosum 1zz.jpg|''Pycnanthemum flexuosum''Pycnanthemum incanum UGA1120218.jpg|''Pycnanthemum incanum''Pycnanthemum muticum (14945847337).jpg|''Pycnanthemum muticum''Pycnanthemum tenuifolium kz1.jpg|''Pycnanthemum tenuifolium'' with ripening seedPycnanthemum-virginianum.JPG|''Pycnanthemum virginianum''
Footnotes
References *  (2007): Germplasm Resources Information Network –  ''Pycnanthemum''. Version of 2007-OCT-05.Retrieved 2011-FEB-18.
External links * Barbara Pleasant. The Herb Companion: Herb-To-Know: Mountain Mint. *  Jeffrey S. Pippen Duke University. North Carolina Wildflowers, Shrubs, & Trees: ''Pycnanthemum''. *  Henriette's Herbal Homepage: ''Pycnanthemum''.