A perennial herb growing to 2 ft (60 cm). Stems square, with opposite branches, 15-40cm long, 2-4mm in diameter; externally purplish-brown or pale green, the angular regions pubescent, internodes 2-5cm long; texture fragile, fracture white, pith hollowed. Leaves opposite, short petioled, lamina crumpled and rolled, when whole, broadly lanceolate, long-elliptical or ovate, 2-8cm long, 103cm wide; the upper surface dark green and the lower surface greyish-green, sparsely pubescent, bearing concave dotted glandular scales. Odour, characteristic and aromatic after rubbing; taste, pungent and cool. Verticillaster axillary, calyx campanulate, with five terminal teeth, corolla pale purple. Flowers grows from the leaf axils and occurs in whorls; pale lilac in colour.

Febrifuge, decongestant and antidiarrheal (aerial parts)

Herbasin Chinese herb database - Herba Menthae (Bo He)

A decoction of dried aerial parts of the plant are used for treating upper respiratory infections,or other epidemic febrile diseases at the initial stage, with headache, fever, and slight aversion to cold, for discomfort with a feeling of distension in the chest and hypochondriac region, inflammation of the eyes including conjunctivitis, sore throat, ulcers in the mouth, measles at the initial stage, incomplete eruption of measles due to wind heat, other skin eruptions and pruritus.

Should not be used in patients with spontaneous sweating due to an Exterior Deficiency.

Jing-Nuan Wu. An Illustrated Chinese Materia Medica. P: 428, Oxford University Press, Inc.2005.