I've visited the plant this summer - I'd say E. x pseudovirgata, and probably the same as the 1966 plant. Also mentioned in I Lawrence's Wild Flowers of Cleveland. Same or v similar plant also found on Seal Sand roundabout, near the fire station! Yet another alien gem!

list can be dowloaded from here: plantsbiodiversityecosystems.wordpress.com/wp-content/u...

Back at base, and we looked at the hairs in the throat of the calyx tubes. This was fascinating.
Mentha pullegium (right) compared with M. x gracilis.
Both had hairs within the calyx tube, but M. pullegium had a clear cone-shaped, ring of hairs.

M. suaveolens as an alien can look like that!

Hi Benrl... where did you find this one? Alnwick again? Wow! Another v interesting specimen. It has got a lot of M. suaveolens characteristics, but does not quite fit as you spotted. I'd be very cautious about naming it straight away, before observing more into detail. Specimen and/or location?

Thanks very helpful!

One more thing - I see that there are no recent records of M. x smithiana in the Alnwick area - would you send me the location? or submit your record to the BSBI (with due reservation about the identification)? Thanks!

My pleasure, don't hesitate to send me pictures of mints!
The key in Stace mostly gets you to the right direction but it can be hard to use!
Good luck

Lovely specimen - yes ID looks correct from pictures

A good question! I suspect nice for herbal tea!

I guess that's a shaded shoot! Are you 100% sure it is from the same clone? The calyx looks ok for smithiana but this is very hairy for it.
Interesting site, happy to receive specimens to confirm ID... If I can! And if at all possible ;-)

Colour and general look points to smithiana but would need to check calyx size and shape, fertility and smell!
Nice one!

This should be checked for the triple hybrid M.x smithiana. Other contenders are x gracilis and x vert. There is clearly the influence of arvensis inflorescence shape (leaf like bracts) but this looks like an hybrid (there is a gradation from leaf like bracts to tiny bracts).

Looking correct but may require a revisit? Wow v interesting!