Latin : Mentha arvensis var. Javanica
The oils of marah mint are used against convulsion, as anti-bacteria and anti-fungus medicine.
This plant grows wild and is also cultivated in India and Southeast Asia (including Indonesia). Hybrid types are imported from Europe . In Indonesia the plant grows best in dump areas at 150-1200 m height above sea level. |
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The flavored grass is about 0,30 - 0,50 m high. It has branched leaves, a rounded flower head of circular shape and the color is purple white.
Marah mint contains evaporating oils like menthol, pulegon, menthon, menthonon and limonene. The plants coming from Java have a lot of pulegon, but less menthol than hard candy oils ( m. piperita ).
The leaf mixed with chalk is rubbed to the skin as medicine against headache. Boiled in water it can be drunk as medicine against cough and flatulance. In China all of the plant (after being cooked) is used as a medicine against colds, headaches, eye and skin diseases, swell and toothache. Besides this it is also applied as medicine to heal heart, artery and other diseases.
We are growing Marah Mint in East Java, Indonesia.