All Species Plantae

Poliomintha incana (Torr.) A.Gray is a plant in the Lamiaceae family, order Lamiales, kingdom Plantae. Not known to be toxic.

Photo of Poliomintha incana (Torr.) A.Gray (Poliomintha incana (Torr.) A.Gray)
Plantae 🌿 Edible

Poliomintha incana (Torr.) A.Gray

Poliomintha incana (Torr.) A.Gray

Poliomintha incana, frosted mint, is an aromatic mint-family shrub native to North American deserts, used by Native American groups as food and flavoring.

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Family
Genus
Poliomintha
Order
Lamiales
Class
Magnoliopsida
⚠️ Toxicity Note

Insufficient toxicity evidence; avoid direct contact and ingestion.

About Poliomintha incana (Torr.) A.Gray

Nomenclature and Common Name

Poliomintha incana (Torr.) A.Gray, commonly called frosted mint, is a flowering plant species in the mint family.

Native Distribution

It is native to dry and desert regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

Foliage Characteristics

This plant is a strongly aromatic shrub that grows dark green foliage covered in small white hairs.

Flower Characteristics

Fuzzy, tubular flowers in shades of light purple and blue, marked with tiny purple spots, are scattered across its foliage.

Traditional Uses

Native American groups, especially the Tewa and Hopi, use frosted mint as food—eaten fresh or dried—and as a flavoring.

Photo: (c) Tom Groves, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Tom Groves · cc-by-nc

Taxonomy

Plantae Tracheophyta Magnoliopsida Lamiales Lamiaceae Poliomintha

More from Lamiaceae

Sources: GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia, NCBI Taxonomy · Disclaimer

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