Catmint

Used medicinally for rheumatism, colds, fevers, abdominal pain, skin sores, and snake bites.

Stems erect, 1-2 m tall, branched, densely appressed white pubescent. Petiole 1-4.5 cm; leaf blade broadly ovate, 4-9 × 2.5-6.5 cm, adaxially finely strigose especially on veins, abaxially densely white minutely tomentose, tomentose on veins, base broadly truncate-cuneate, margin irregularly dentate, apex acute or short acuminate. Spikes ca. 2.5 cm in diam.; floral leaves short petiolate or ± sessile, longer than verticillasters; bracts 3-4 mm. Calyx ca. 6 mm, hirsute, glandular pubescent, yellow glandular; teeth purple-red, triangular-lanceolate, ca. 2.7 mm, ciliate. Corolla purplish, ca. 1.3 cm, glabrous outside; tube funnelform, mouth to 3.5 mm wide; upper lip oblong, 4.5-5 × 3 mm, margin entire; lower lip subhorizontally spreading, ca. 9 × 5 mm; middle lobe obcordate, ca. 3 × 4.5 mm, slightly undulate, bearded; lateral lobes ovate. Ovary glabrous. Nutlets ca. 1.5 mm in diam. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Sep-Nov.

Himalaya (Kumaun to Sikkim), India, Ceylon, China, Malaysia.

Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Cambodia, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam].

200-2400 m

Forest margins, waste areas; 0-2400 m.

Nepeta indica Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 571. 1753; Anisomeles ovata R. Brown; Epimeredi indica (Linnaeus) Rothmaler; Marrubium indicum (Linnaeus) Burman.

Anisomeles indica, or catmint, is a species of herbaceous plant native to eastern Asia and naturalized on some Pacific islands.