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Hedeoma pulegioides (Linnaeus) Persoon. American Pennyroyal. Phen: Jul-Oct. Hab: Dry soils of woodlands, roadbanks, woods-roads, especially common in shaly parts of the mountains. Dist: NS, s. QC, s. ON, MI, WI, and IA south to c. SC, c. GA, and AR.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Other Comments: The fragrant oil is apparently very similar to that of the European Pennyroyal, Mentha pulegium Linnaeus. The oil is a powerful insect repellent and insecticide, often used on pets to repel fleas. It is also poisonous to humans, however, at least in substantial quantities. It is sometimes used as a tea; native Americans are reputed to have used it as an abortion inducer. This plant should be used with great caution, if at all.

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, F, G, Il, K1, K3, K4, Mi, NE, NY, Pa, RAB, S, Tat, Tn, Va, W, WV, Irving (1980); = Hedeoma pulgioides – GrPl, orthographic error

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Heliophily ⓘ: 6

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image of plant© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect annual of dry soils of woodlands, road banks and woods-roads.

Stems: Stems round or 4-angled, branched, glandular-hairy.

Leaves: Leaves opposite, petiolate, oval-elliptic, to 1 in. long, with a few blunt teeth toward the tip, gland-dotted.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in small whorls at leaf nodes, a pair of leafy bracts at the base of each flower; light blue to lavender; less than 1/4 in. long; bilaterally symmetric; tubular and split into 2 lips, the upper one 2-lobed and the lower 3-lobed and purple-spotted. The tubular calyx has 5 teeth, 13 prominent nerves and becomes flask-shaped at maturity.

Fruits:

Comments:

Height: 4-16 in.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect annual of dry soils of woodlands, road banks and woods-roads.

stems: Stems round or 4-angled, branched, glandular-hairy.

leaves: Leaves opposite, petiolate, oval-elliptic, to 1 in. long, with a few blunt teeth toward the tip, gland-dotted.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in small whorls at leaf nodes, a pair of leafy bracts at the base of each flower; light blue to lavender; less than 1/4 in. long; bilaterally symmetric; tubular and split into 2 lips, the upper one 2-lobed and the lower 3-lobed and purple-spotted. The tubular calyx has 5 teeth, 13 prominent nerves and becomes flask-shaped at maturity.

fruits:

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