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Mint plant ‘Meadow Mint’ 
US PP25108 P3

ESTRATTO

Mint selection 07-A3-11, denominated ‘Meadow Mint’, is a new Mentha sp. cultivar that produces an essential oil different in composition, produces more oil on a dry weight basis and has a branching pattern, large leaf size and resistance to mint rust (Puccinia menthae).

DESCRIZIONE

Latin name of the genus and species: Mentha sp.

Variety denomination: ‘MEADOW MINT’.

FEDERAL SPONSORSHIP

None

TYPE OF PLANT AND NAME OF VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peppermint plant developed from a parent of the speciesMentha arvensis. The new variety will be identified as ‘Meadow Mint’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This new mint was developed in a mint breeding program in which the primary objective was to develop a Mitcham type peppermint variety having a specific oil composition, acceptable yield and resistant to mint diseases. The new variety is as susceptible to mint wilt (soil borne fungus Verticillium dahliae) as its parent, but more resistant to mint rust (air-borne fungusPuccinia menthae). Selection 07-A3-11 has a higher yield of oil than the control variety, ‘Black Mitcham’, in test plots since 2008. This plant was selected from a population of mint seedlings in research plots on land near Monmouth, Oreg. and initially identified as 07-A3-11.

DISCOVERY AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION

Selection 07-A3-11 originated as a seedling from an open pollinated M. arvensis (06-Blanco-11) female parent included with male fertile M. piperita (polyploid ‘Black Mitcham’) plants in a polycross breeding program. Selection 06-Blanco-11 is a first generation seedling from ‘Blanco’ (M. arvensis), a commercially grown variety for essential oil production. Diploid M. piperitais sterile and only becomes fertile in the polyploidy state. The parent plants in the polycross breeding system were composed of selected fertile male and female genotypes based on certain desirable characteristics.

Selection 07-A3-11 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 07-A3-11 for greenhouse and field planting in Monmouth, Oreg., each year since 2007 and the genotype comes true to form with each generation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Mint selection 07-A3-11, denominated ‘Meadow 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. Organoleptically it differs from typical M. piperita (‘Black Mitcham’) peppermint oil. It is more resistant to mint rust than current commercially grown M. arvensis varieties.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying color photographs show typical, field grown vegetative growth of 07-A3-11 and depicts the color as nearly as reasonably possible.

Photograph 1 illustrates the growth habit under field conditions of my new mint plant.

Photograph 2 illustrates the leaf shape and color of my new mint plant.

DESCRIPTION OF PLANT

My new mint plant improves upon and is distinct from other mint plants in several characteristics, including but not limited to, the following:

• • 1. The ability to produce an essential oil different in composition than typical commercial M. arvensis, (‘Shivalik’), but with similar components as ‘Black Mitcham’ peppermint (M. piperita);
  • 2. The ability to produce more oil on a dry weight basis than currently grown mint varieties;
  • 3. A more vigorous plant but with a branching pattern similar to its parent;
  • 4. A leaf larger than its parent, commercial M. arvensis (‘Blanco’), and commercial M. piperita (‘Black Mitcham’);
  • 5. A level of resistance to mint rust (Puccinia menthae) equal to or greater than that of its M. arvensis female parent;

The essential oil extracted from 07-A3-11 has a composition of components more like that of commercial oil produced by commercial M. arvensis (‘Shivalik’) than that of M. piperita (‘Black Mitcham’) as illustrated in Table 1. However, the ratio of oil components in 07-A3-11 is different from those of both M. arvensis and M. piperita. The concentration of menthone in oil of 07-A3-11 is greater than that of M. arvensis and M. piperita. There is only a trace of menthofuran present in the oil of 07-A3-11 and absent in oil of its parent M. arvensis. There is a trace of menthyl acetate in the essential oil of 07-A3-11 whereas, the component is present at 2.9% or greater in the parent seedling and commercial M. arvensis and M. piperita. Organoleptically, the oil of 07-A3-11 is different from that of Black Mitcham and M. arvensis, reflecting the difference in oil component ratios. Fragrance from the leaf is a pungent peppermint, lacking the strong menthol note of ‘Shivalik’ but more pronounced than ‘Black Mitcham’.