Abstract
According to BRIQUET (1897), Mentha viridis L. (Syn. M. spicata L., M.spicata L. var. viridis L.) and M. longifolia(L.) HUDs. (Syn. M. spicata L. var. longifolia L., M. silvestris L.) belong to the Spicatae section in the genus Meletha. The Spicatae section is characterized by flowers in spikes. In the Spicatae 'sectiole, M. longifolia is distinguished from M. viridis by the former being more or less hairy while the latter is glabrous. This difference seems to be due to a few Mendelian genes. Either species, however, does, not always breed true to its type as is seen in Table 3. When we propagate by seed, from downy clone (M. longifolia) we cannot always expect only downy plants in the progeny, or only glabrous progenies from glabrous clone (M. viridis). From the above mentioned fact, we suppose the names of the species were given to the phenotypes of these clones, not to their genotypes. Hence, it seems insufficient to separate these two species according to such an unfixed character as that of hairiness when no other definite difference can be found. By another experiment of ours, it was proved that from the interspecific crossings between the two species mentioned above, no difference could bc fcund in genome constitutions. (This will be published later.) So we propose to unite these two species into one, M. spicata L., in accordance with LlNNAEI (1753). If it is necessary to separate one from the other by the phenotype of the clone, the glabrous spicata should be called M. spicata L. var. viridis L., and the hairy one M. spicata L. var. longifolia L
