Hyptis alata

Musky mint
Secure
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Lamiaceae
Genus: Hyptis
Species:
H. alata
Binomial name
Hyptis alata
Synonyms
  • Pycnanthemum alatum Raf.
  • Clinopodium rugosum L.
  • Hyptis radiata Willd., illegitimate superfluous name
  • Mesosphaerum radiatum Kuntze
  • Hyptis floridana Gand.
  • Hyptis leiocephala Gand.
  • Hyptis tracyi Gand.
  • Hyptis latidens Urb.
  • Hyptis rugosula Briq.

Hyptis alata, the musky mint or clustered bushmint, is a shrub species of flowering plant in the Lamiaceae, the mint family. The genus Hyptis is commonly known as the bushmints. Hyptis alata is the southeastern United States analog to the Southwestern deserts H. emoryi, the desert lavender.USDA: NRCS: Plants Profile Hyptis alata

Varieties
  1. Hyptis alata subsp. alata - United States and Cuba
  2. Hyptis alata subsp. rugosula (Briq.) Harley - South America

Description

H. alata can reach up to 4 feet in height and possesses round flower heads. Its leaves are simple and lanceolate in shape. They have serrated leaf margins. Individuals give off a musky mint scent, the origin of its common name.

Distribution and habitat

This species' native range extends throughout the southeastern United States from Texas to North Carolina, as well as in Cuba, Argentina, southern Brazil, and Paraguay.

It is found in wetlands, prairies, pond margins and wet flatwoods.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. ↑ "Clustered bushmint (Hyptis alata)_EOL".
  3. ↑ Photo-Flowers, close-up[link removed]; Article & photo gallery Archived 2008-02-20 at the Wayback Machine - "Aquatic, Wetland, and Invasive Plants–Hyptis alata"
  4. ↑ "Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin". www.wildflower.org. Retrieved 2025-08-01.
  5. ↑ Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution map