Pycnanthemum muticum (Michx.) Pers.

Blunt Mountain-mint

Habitat: Dry woods, thickets, and clearings. [Hardwood to mixed forest (forest, upland)]

Range: Southwest Maine to Michigan and Illinois, south to Long Island, northern Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, and eastern Texas. Apparently rare or only historically known in New Hampshire and Vermont; not rare southward.

Aids to Identification: Like most members of its family in Maine, blunt mountain-mint is an herbaceous plant with opposite leaves and two-lipped (irregular) flowers. Pycnanthemum species are upright herbs with small (under 6 mm long) white flowers in button-like heads at the tops of the stems. At least 2 of the 4 stamens protrude above the corolla. P. muticum is distinguished from other Maine species of the genus by its leaves, which are broadly egg-shaped and toothed, as opposed to narrow or linear and entire in the other Maine Pycnanthemums. It might also be confused with certain members of the genus Mentha (Mint), which have mint-scented foliage (Pycnanthemum has fragrant but not minty foliage).

Ecological characteristics: Ecological relationships in Maine are not well known.

Phenology: Flowers July - September.

Family: Lamiaceae

Synonyms: Koellia mutica (Michx.) Kuntz.

Known Distribution in Maine: This rare plant has historically been documented from a total of 3 town(s) in the following county(ies): York.

Reason(s) for rarity: Northern limit of range; grows in habitats which are suitable for development or agriculture and may have been lost to those uses.

Conservation considerations: Unknown; no current locations for this species are documented.