Common name: Creeping Mint, Native Pennyroyal
Mentha satureioides R.Br. APNI* 
Description: Mat-forming herb, rhizomatous and often producing ascending to prostrate branches at nodes; branches glabrous or covered with short spreading hairs.
Leaves with lamina narrow-elliptic to linear-elliptic, 0.5–3.5 cm long, 2–7 mm wide; apex obtuse or rounded; margins entire; petiole 0–3 mm long.
Flowers in 3-flowered clusters in axil of a pair of leaves. Calyx 13-ridged, fused to at least two-thirds its length; lobes broad-acute; outer surface glabrous or with a few short hairs and longer ones on margin. Corolla 3–5 mm long, white or pink. Anthers ± exserted.
Flowering: throughout year.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in sandy-clay to clay-rich soils, frequently in grassy areas and in open woodland communities; widespread.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, NWS, CWS, SWS, NWP, SWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. S.A.
The current circumscription of M. satureioides and M. diemenica represents the extremes of what appears to be a morphological continuum and is sometimes called the M. satureioides group. Many populations show a range of intermediates or combinations of the characters given in the key.
Text by B. J. Conn
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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