Meehan's mint facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Meehan's mint |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Meehania
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| Species: |
cordata
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Meehania cordata, also known as Meehan's mint or creeping mint, is a special type of plant that lives for many years (it's a perennial). It belongs to the Meehania group of plants, which are part of the Lamiaceae family, also known as the mint family. You can find this plant growing in damp, shady spots from Pennsylvania all the way west to Illinois, and south to Tennessee and North Carolina. It usually blooms around June.
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What is Meehan's Mint?
The plant Meehania got its name from Nathaniel Lord Britton. He named it after a famous botanist from Philadelphia named Thomas Meehan. This plant is a dicot, which means its seeds have two first leaves when they sprout. It's also a perennial, so it lives for more than two years.
How Meehan's Mint Looks
Meehan's mint has a special part called a calyx. This is like a cup that holds the flower. It has five teeth and 15 veins. The flower itself, called the corolla, is quite large and opens up like a bell. The top part of the flower is flat or curved, with two small lobes. The bottom part has three sections, and the middle one is the biggest.
Inside the flower, there are four stamens. These are the parts that produce pollen. They point upwards, and two of them are shorter than the others. The pollen-making parts, called anther-cells, are side-by-side. This plant is a low-growing herb that spreads with runners. It has pale purple flowers.
Meehania cordata is one of seven species in the Meehania group. It was named by an English botanist named Thomas Nuttall. This plant is low to the ground and has thin, hairy runners. Its leaves are shaped like a heart and have rounded edges. They grow on stalks. The flowers grow in small groups at the top of short stems that grow upwards. The inside of the flower is hairy and can be 2 to 3.5 centimeters long. The stamens are shorter than the upper part of the flower.
Where Does Meehan's Mint Grow?
You can find Meehan's mint mostly in the eastern parts of North America. It grows in several states, including:
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Is Meehan's Mint in Danger?
Yes, this plant is listed as being at risk by the U.S. federal government or by certain states.
- In Pennsylvania, Meehania cordata is listed as Endangered. This means it is at very high risk of disappearing from the state.
- In Tennessee, it is listed as Threatened. This means it is likely to become endangered in the near future.
