Mint plant ‘Teton Mint’
Mint selection 14-27-89, denominated ‘Teton Mint’, is a new Mentha sp. cultivar that produces an essential oil different in composition than commercially grown mint varieties. The essential oil is similar to standard mint oil in components composition but differs in the typical Mentha piperita peppermint oil.
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Latin name of the genus and species: Mentha sp.
Variety denomination: ‘TETON MINT’.
FEDERAL SPONSORSHIPNone
TYPE OF PLANT AND NAME OF VARIETYThe present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peppermint plant developed from a parent of the species M. arvensis. The new variety will be identified as ‘Teton Mint’.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION‘Teton Mint’ originated as a seedling from an open pollinated Mentha arvensis female parent (08-A20-4) included with other M. arvensis and male fertile M. piperita plants in a polycross breeding program. Commercial M. piperita is sterile and only becomes fertile in the polyploidy state. The parent plants in the polycross breeding syscm were composed of selected fertile male and female genotypes based on certain desirable characteristics.
DISCOVERY AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTIONThis new mint was developed in a mint breeding program in which the primary objective was to develop a mint variety having a specific oil composition, acceptable yield and resistant to mint diseases. The new variety is more resistant to mint wilt (soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahlia) than its parent, but more susceptible to mint rust (air-borne fungus Puccinia menthae). Selection ‘Teton Mint’ has a higher yield of oil than the control variety, Black Mitcham, in test plots since 2014. This plant was selected from a population of mint seedlings in research plots on land near Monmouth, Oreg., and initially identified as 14-27-89.
‘Teton Mint’ is asexually propagated to maintain the cultivar's genetic integrity and as a means of increasing the selection for commercial planting. Asexual propagation, by tip cuttings or stolon sections, is a common practice in commercial mint cultivation and serves as a means of propagating the normally sterile mint plant. Under the inventor's direction, Premier Botanicals has conducted asexual propagation of ‘Teton Mint’ for greenhouse and field planting in Monmouth, Oreg., each year since 2014 and the genotype comes true to form with each generation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONMint selection 14-27-89, denominated ‘Teton Mint’, is a new Mentha sp. cultivar that produces an essential oil different in composition than commercially grown mint varieties. The essential oil is similar to standard mint oil in components composition but differs in the typical ratio of components. Organo-leptically it differs from typical Mentha piperita peppermint oil.
The accompanying color Figures show typical, field grown vegetative growth of ‘Teton Mint’ and depicts the color as nearly as reasonably possible.
My new mint plant improves upon and is distinct from other mint plants in several characteristics, including but not limited to, the following:
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- 1. The ability to produce an essential oil different in composition than typical commercial M. arvensis, but with similar components as ‘Black Mitcham’ peppermint (M. piperita);
- 2. Produce more oil on a dry weight basis than currently grown mint varieties;
- 3. An early spring growth similar to ‘Black Mitcham’ peppermint but with an earlier maturity for desirable chemical composition of its essential oil;
- 4. A level of resistance to mint wilt equal to or greater than that of its M. arvensis female parent;
The essential oil extracted from ‘Teton Mint’ has a composition of components more like that of commercial oil produced by ‘Black Mitcham’ peppermint (M. piperita) than that of its M. arvensis parent as illustrated in Table 1. However, the ratio of oil components in ‘Teton Mint’ is different from those of both M. arvensis and M. piperita. The concentration of menthone in oil of ‘Teton Mint’ is greater than that of M. arvensis and M. piperita. There is only a trace of menthofuran in the oil of ‘Teton Mint’ and absent in oil of its parent M. arvensis. Menthol is lower in ‘Teton Mint’ than in its parent and that of commercial M. arvensis and M. piperita. Organoleptically, the oil of ‘Teton Mint’ is different from that of ‘Black Mitcham’ and M. arvensis, reflecting the difference in oil component ratios.
This new plant, under greenhouse and field growing conditions, is a bush type plant with lateral branches at each node of the main stems. The height of ‘Teton Mint’ is equal to or greater than Black Mitcham growing under similar conditions and will vary based on fertilizer, soil quality, and water application, amongst other known factors that affect growth patterns. Secondary and tertiary branching occurs to form a loose growth habit. When ‘Teton Mint’ is mature and ready for harvest, the main stem at mid-plant (approximately between the eleventh and twelfth node) is 3.1-3.4 mm in width. The secondary stem is 8.7-9.0 mm in width.
Mature leaves at the bottom of the plant are ovate lanceolate as are leaves on secondary branch stems. Leaves on upper mature plants, both main and secondary stems are more lanceolate (
The inflorescence is a conspicuous spike with capitate flowers developing at the nodes of the spike stem. The cylindrical spikes are about 15 mm in diameter and range from 200 to 250 mm in length. The capitate flowers are 9-12 mm in width and 6-8 mm in length. The flowers consist of five petals fused into a two lipped corolla. The corolla is light violet in color as illustrated in The Fifth Edition Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart 91D in the violet-blue group. The calyx is generally green and is 143C in The Fifth Edition Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, green group. The gynoecium consists of a single pistil with two lobed stigma that is exserted. The androecium consists of four stamens, each with a distinct filament and anther.
While the plant that comprises the present invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that this application is intended to cover any variation, uses, or adaptation of the invention (particular those induced by cultivation under different environmental conditions) following, in general the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention scope of the invention and the limits of the appended claim.
Claims
1. A new and distinct variety of mint plant, substantially as shown and described, characterized particularly by improving resistance to mint wilt and producing a unique essential oil.
- Gobert, V., “Hybridization in the section Mentha (Lamiaceae) inferred from AFLP markers,” Am. J. Bot., Dec. 2002, 89 (12), pp. 2017-2023.
- Fuchs, Sabine, et al., “Biosynthesis of menthofuran in Mentha × piperita ; Stereoselective and Mechanistic Studies;” J. Agric. Food Chem., 1999, 47(10), pp. 4100-4105.
- Dung, Jeremiah K. S., et al., “Evaluation of Verticillium wilt resistance in Mentha arvensis and M. longifolia genotypes,” Plant Disease, Oct. 2010, vol. 94, pp. 1255-1260.
- Rohloff, Jens, et al., “Effect of harvest time and drying method on biomass production, essential oil yield, and quality of peppermint (Mentha piperita L.);” J. Agric. Food Chem., 2005, 53(10), pp. 4143-4148.
- Rohloff, Jens, “Monoterpene composition of essential oil from peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) with regard to leaf positions using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis;” J. Agric. Food Chem., 1999, 47(9), pp. 3782-3786.
- Padalia, Rajendra C., et al., “Essential oil composition of sixteen elite cultivars of Mentha from western Himalayan region, India,” Maejo Int. J. Sci. Technol., 2013, 7(01), pp. 83-93.
- Tsai, Mei-Lin, et al., “Chemical composition and biological properties of essential oils of two mint species,” Trop. J. Pharm. Research, Aug. 2013, 12(4), pp. 577-582.
Type: Grant
Filed: May 18, 2016
Date of Patent: Jan 24, 2017
Assignee: Essex Laboratories, LLC (Chehalis, WA)
Inventor: Donald D. Roberts (Independence, OR)
Primary Examiner: Annette Para
Application Number: 14/999,511