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- Hedeoma
- Hedeoma pulegioides
Hedeoma pulegioides — American false pennyroyal
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Facts
Although named American false pennyroyal, this plant is used interchangeably with European pennyroyal as a source of pennyroyal oil, which is used in traditional medicine. Native Americans used false pennyroyal as a cold remedy, cough medicine, fever reducer, stimulant and toothache remedy.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), cliffs, balds, or ledges, meadows and fields, ridges or ledges
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Flower petal color
-
- blue to purple
- white
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Flower symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube
- Stamen number
- 1 or 2
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
-
Clonal plantlets
- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
-
Flowers
- Anther opening
- the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers
- Calyx symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
- Cleistogamous flowers
- there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan
- Corolla morphology
- the flower has two prominent lips
- Corolla palate
- no
- Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
- Epicalyx
- the flower does not have an epicalyx
- Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
- Flower description
- the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium
- Flower length
- 3–4 mm
- Flower number
- 3–11
- Flower petal color
-
- blue to purple
- white
- Flower symmetry
- there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)
- Flowers sunken into stem
- no
- Form of style
- the style is lobed at the tip, and unbranched
- Fused stamen clusters
- NA
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube
- Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
- Hypanthium
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
- Hypanthium length
- 0 mm
- Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
- Interior flower disk
- the flower has an interior disc
- Marks on petals
- the petals have spots or streaks on them
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of branches in umbel
- 0
- Number of carpels
- 2
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal and sepal colors
-
- blue to purple
- white
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal folds or pleats
- the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits
- Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
- Petal length
- 4–5 mm
- Petal length relative to sepals
- the petals are longer than the sepals
- Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
- Raceme attachment (Veronica)
- NA
- Scales inside corolla
- no
- Sepal and petal color
- the sepals are different from the petals
- Sepal appearance
- the sepals are green or brown, and leaf-like in texture
- Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
- Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
- Sepal cilia
- the sepals do not have cilia
- Sepal color
- green to brown
- Sepal length
- 3–4 mm
- Sepal number
- 5
- Sepal shape
-
- the sepal outline is roughly triangular
- the sepal outline is subulate (narrowly tapering from the base to the apex; awl-shaped)
- Spur length
- 0 mm
- Spur number
- NA
- Stamen attachment
- the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals
- Stamen number
- 1 or 2
- Stamen relative length
- anything
- Stamens fused
- the stamens are not attached to one another
- Staminodes
-
- the flower has staminodes
- there are no staminodes on the flower
- Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Upper lip of bilabiate corolla
- the upper lip of the bilabiate corolla has one lobe
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene relative orientation
- NA
- Achene shape
- NA
- Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
- Achene type
- NA
- Berry color
- NA
- Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
- Capsule ribs
- NA
- Capsule splitting
- NA
- Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
- Fruit beak length
- 0 mm
- Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Fruit locules
- four
- Fruit shape
- the fruit is ovoid (egg-shaped)
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a schizocarp (when dry it splits into sections, each holding one or more seeds)
- Hair type on fruit
- NA
- Hairs on fruit
- the fruits are not hairy
- Legumes (Fabaceae)
- NA
- Mericarp length
- 0.7–1 mm
- Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
- Other markings on berry
- NA
- Ovary stipe
- the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe
- Placenta arrangement
- the plant has axile placentation, in which the ovules are attached where the septa of a compound ovary are united, usually on the central axis, or to the septa themselves
- Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit compression
- the fruit is not flattened
- Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 4
- Seed number
- 2
- Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
- the fruit does not have wings on it
- prickles on fruits
- the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures
-
Glands or sap
- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades have glandular dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
- Sap color
- the sap is clear
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)
- Lifespan
- the plant lives only a single year or less
- Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
- Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
- Plants darken when dry
- no
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
- there is a thickened taproot on the plant
-
Leaves
- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
- Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
- Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)
- 0
- Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Floral bracts
- the flower has one or more bracts associated with it
- Hooked hairs on underside of leaf
- no
- Inflated hairs on leaf
- the leaf blade does not have inflated hairs on it
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
- the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade base symmetry
- the leaf blade base is symmetrical
- Leaf blade bloom
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- Leaf blade flatness
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
- Leaf blade length
- 10–30 mm
- Leaf blade primary vein pattern
- the secondary veins branch off at intervals from the primary vein
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf blade texture
- the leaf blade is herbaceous (has a leafy texture)
- Leaf blade vein pattern
- the major veins of the leaf blade branch, but do not rejoin
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip (it may or may not have secondary veins)
- Leaf blade width
- 4–15 mm
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
- Leaf shiny
- the upper side of the leaf is dull or slightly shiny
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Leaf stalk attachment to leaf
- the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade
- Leaf stalk length
- 2–12 mm
- Leaf teeth and lobes
-
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- the leaf blade margin has forward-pointing teeth
- Leaf tip
-
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
- the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Leaflet petiolules
- NA
- Leaves per node
- there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Pinnately compound leaf type
- NA
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Stipels
- NA
- Stipule edges
- NA
- Stipule features
- NA
- Stipule fused to leaf stalk
- NA
- Stipule length
- 0 mm
- Stipule shape
- NA
- Stipules
- there are no stipules on the plant
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- cliffs, balds, or ledges
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
- ridges or ledges
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant has a pleasant smell, for example anise, fruit, mint or resin
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branched tendrils
- NA
- Direction of stem hairs
-
- the hairs point downwards, or they bend outwards and then downwards
- the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is roughly square
- Hair between stem nodes
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- Hairs between stem nodes
- at least some of the hairs on the stem have glands
- Hooked hairs on stem between nodes
- no
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Plant height
- 10–40 cm
- Stem bloom
- there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem
- Stem nodes swollen
- the stem is not swollen at the nodes
- Stem orientation
- the stems are upright or angled outwards
- Stem roughness between nodes
- the stem does not feel rough
- Stem spacing
- the plant is solitary, or a few plants are growing together
- Stem succulence
- the stems are not succulent
- Tendril origin
- NA
- Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
- Wings on stem
- the stem has wings on it that run down the stem from the leaf nodes
Wetland status
Not classified
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- fairly widespread (S-rank: S4S5)
- Rhode Island
- extremely rare (S-rank: S1), concern (code: C)
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Hedeoma hispida:
- leaf blades linear to narrow-oblong, 1–3 mm wide, sessile or subsessile and mericarps narrow-ovoid, 1–1.3 mm long, glaucous (vs. H. pulegioides, with leaf blades lanceolate to ovate or obovate, 4–15 mm wide, the principal ones petiolate, and mericarps subglobose, 0.7–1 mm long, not glaucous).
Synonyms
- Cunila pulegioides L.
- Melissa pulegioides (L.) L.
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
2. Hedeoma pulegioides (L.) Pers. N
American false pennyroyal. Cunila pulegioides L.; Melissa pulegioides (L.) L. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Fields, roadsides, ledges, trail edges.