Seeds of native Mentha's needed

[e-prinz]

Where may I get seeds of native Mentha as

1. Mentha australis, River Mint
2. Mentha diemenica, Slender Mint
3. Mentha satureioides, Creeping Mint
4. Mentha laxiflora, Forest Mint
5. Mentha grandiflora Gorge Pennyroyal

I am living in Germany and would like to study Australian mints.

[roughbarked]

I'll keep my eye out.

At least three of those are found in my region but we have had such dry times that populations of mints have declined.

In some parts of Australia recent rains have been good, some rivers have had good flows, unfortunately not yet those in my region.
Finding Mentha seed is no easy task. One first needs to locate a site which has been well watered(not common). Then one needs to sit and wait until the mint does set seed(again uncommon). Then comes the even tricker parts, collecting and germinating.
In Australia you really often have to be right on the ball at the correct time and place to get good seed of many of our plants.
Mentha seed may require very long germination periods though germination is relatively rapid if the conditions required are met. However growing from seed isn't very reliable. What must be realised is that in Australia many of the Mentha species from other parts of the world now exist here and many are feral. Seed may easily be hybridised. From this point of view it would probably be wiser to come and study these mints .. in Australia.

further discussion here.. http://www.bushfood.net/viewtopic.php?t=315

http://asgap.org.au/m-aus.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr ... +australis

http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/At ... tralis.pdf

[e-prinz]

Thanks for the information. and especially that you will keep your eyes out for mentha seeds.

[klintj]

I have Mentha Diemenica, Australis and Satureoides growing in my yard and I also have ordered Laxiflora... can strike these if required but i've never seen them seed although i did get flowers on them last year.
Although as usual with most mentha's, i find they die down a bit i nthe winter months so the diemenica wil ltake some time but my australis is going well still.

mentha should be easier to strike easily.. unlike raspberries..been trying to strike native raspberries with no luck as yet.

[janus]

I am a collector of mints and live in The Netherlands. I have mint Mentha australis and used to have Mentha diemenica, but that one died last winter.
So just as e-prinz I am also in search of seed of the following Australian mints:

Mentha laxiflora
Mentha repens
Mentha satureioides
Mentha grandiflora
Mentha diemenica

Please contact me when you have something available.

[e-prinz]

Still I am finding out where may I get seeds (or alternatively suckers) of native Mentha as

1. Mentha australis, River Mint
2. Mentha diemenica, Slender Mint
3. Mentha satureioides, Creeping Mint
4. Mentha laxiflora, Forest Mint
5. Mentha grandiflora Gorge Pennyroyal

I am living in Germany and would like to study Australian mints.

[roughbarked]

Think that one needs special permits to export native plants.

[eataust]

Seeds would be do-able. Suckers - not a chance. That's live plant material and I doubt very much any individual could afford the required cleaning, assuming the plants themselves survived it!

It could almost be worthwhile contacting the CSIRO (csiro.au) as a starting point for importing (from your point of view) native plant seeds. Menthas aren't easy seeds to start with and natives would be just about impossible ...

[e-prinz]

There is a simple method of of conserving suckers for a week used by botanical gardens. One week should be ok for air transportation.