Clinopodium gracile, a
15-30cm tall perennial, grows in damp places like paths between
paddies or roadsides. Stems are slender, spread in crowds from the
bases, and the basal parts crawl on the ground. Leaves are
alternate, 1-3cm long, 1-2cm wide, in the shape of an ovate to
broadly ovate, with shallow serrations on margins. Flowers set
themselves annularly in some rows; corollas measure 5-6mm long,
light red, with ligulate calyxes and a few short hairs on veins.
Bloom time: May-August. |