Hedeoma drummondii

Benth.

Drummond's falsepennyroyal

Lamiaceae Edible: Leaves, Leaves - tea 1,311 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Hedeoma drummondii is a species of flowering plant in the mint family known by the common name Drummond's false pennyroyal. It is native to western North America, where it is distributed mainly in the United States west of the Mississippi River and adjacent Mexico. This is a hairy perennial herb with an erect mintlike form up to 45 centimeters tall. The oppositely arranged paired leaves are linear to narrowly oval in shape, pointed, and up to about a centimeter long. The leaves have a strong sweet mint scent when crushed. The herb tastes like peppermint and is used as a minty flavoring in parts of Mexico. The inflorescence arises from the axils of these leaf pairs, bearing three to seven flowers each between one and two centimeters in length on short pedicels. The flowers are generally light to deep lavender with some white markings. The fruit is a waxy, mucilaginous nutlet.

Description

A subtropical herb in the mint family (Lamiaceae) with aromatic leaves and flowering tops used for culinary and beverage purposes.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The leaves and flowering tops are used as a flavoring similar to peppermint, in soups, and brewed as tea.

Traditional Uses

Flavouring like peppermint. The leaves are used for soup. The leaves are flowering tops are used for teas.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a subtropical plant.

Where It Grows

Central America, Mexico, North America, USA,

Notes

There are about 24-38 Hedeoma species.

Also Known As

New Mexican pennyroyal, Polello, Poleo, Toronjil

References (7)

Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 3823
Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
Estrada-Castillon, E., et al, 2014, Ethnobotany in Rayones, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 10:62
Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 406
Labiat. gen. spec. 368. 1834

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