Mentha Plant Named 'Columbia'

Abstract

A new and distinct variety of Mentha x piperita, ‘Columbia’ is characterized by its unique oil chemistry and sweet complex flavor profile. The new varietal offers a Mentha x piperita variety that it is resistant to diseases such as Verticillium Wilt and Mint Rust.

Claims

1. A new and distinct variety of Mentha x piperita named ‘Columbia’ substantially as shown and described.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The accompanying color photographs of ‘Columbia’ shows the new variety.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows the flower spike of ‘Columbia.’

[0015] FIG. 2 shows the mature leaves of ‘Columbia.’

[0016] FIG. 3 shows the SNPs of Columbia compared other mint varieties.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Columbia is a unique and distinct proprietary North American peppermint variety. Columbia's essential oil finds utility in mint flavorings. Columbia is more sustainable and proven to be resistant to Verticillium Wilt and Mint Rust that is unlike any of the other commercial varieties of peppermint used in the industry today. Columbia is also an exceptionally vigorous plant and produces high quality peppermint oil, both in terms of chemical composition and organoleptic properties. Columbia is intended for commercial use as an alternative to disease susceptible varieties like Black Mitcham.

[0018] The preferred usage level of the essential oil from Columbia as a flavoring agent for use in flavoring confection, pharmaceutical, beverage, tobacco, and oral care products varies from 0.01 to 5.0% by weight, either by itself or in combination with other mint oils, components thereof, or natural and/or synthetic flavoring materials, in the finished product depending on the finished application. Usage levels may even be higher depending on the potential use based on the individual components of other flavor components such as 1-limonene, Menthyl acetate, Menthofuran, or others.

[0019] Oil Composition. Columbia contains unique chemical properties that can match and/or enhance the characteristics of Black Mitcham peppermint oil resulting in a complex profile to a flavor oil that is produced in a more sustainable manner while providing a better yielding alternative to the industry standard. The chemical properties of Columbia oil obtained from a gas ghromatography instrument equipped with a Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) include a 1,8-cineole content of 2.5 to 5.5%, 1-limonene from 1.0 to 3.0%, menthone from 20 to 45%, menthofuran from 0.2 to 3.5%, menthol 25 to 45%, menthyl acetate from 3.0 to 15%, and isopulegol of below 0.2%. These values are listed in area percentage.

[0020] The essential oil chemistry profile of ‘Columbia’ was compared to commercially available varieties of the M. piperita varities ‘Black Mitcham’ and Mentha canadensis (whole arvensis) and are shown in Table 1.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 M. x piperita ‘Columbia’ Comparison to Commercial Varieties of Mint by Gas Chromatography Flavor M. x piperita M. piperita M. canadensis Compound ‘Columbia’ ‘Black Mitcham’ Whole Arvensis beta-Myrcene 0.30 to 0.50% 0.20 to 0.35% 0.50 to 0.80% 1,8-Cineole 2.5 to 5.5% 3.0 to 5.0% <0.5% trans-Sabinene 0.2 to 1.0% 0.8 to 2.0% <0.1% Hydrate l-Menthone 20 to 45% 15 to 22%  6 to 12% Menthofuran 0.2 to 3.5% 0.5 to 5.0% <0.1% d-Isomenthone 1.5 to 3%   2 to 4% 3 to 5% Menthyl Acetate  3 to 15% 3 to 6% 1 to 4% Isopulegol <0.2% <0.2% 0.7 to 0.9% Menthol 25 to 45% 33 to 49% 62 to 72% Pulegone 0.2 to 3.0% 0.5 to 3.0% 0.5 to 1.0% Germacrene D 0.5 to 3.0% 2.0 to 4.0% 0.2 to 1.0% Viridiflorol <0.6% 0.4 to 0.8% <0.1  (All values listed are in area percentage)

[0021] Analytical results show an increase in certain molecules, like esters and ketones, that improves the complexity of the flavor and organoleptic profiles of Columbia that can compliment or replace existing commercial varieties of Mentha piperita such as like Black Mitcham. When the essential oil from Columbia is blended with a Black Mitcham peppermint oil, the blend exhibited a nice rounded, well-aged profile along with adding a slightly brighter, sweeter, more complex peppermint character.

[0022] The relative amounts of the flavor compounds of Table 1 are distinct and uniquely distinguishable from Black Mitchum and other known commercial peppermint cultivars. The combination of high menthone (>22%) and menthyl acetate (>5%) levels, the low ratio of menthol to menthyl acetate (<5:1), as well as the high ratio of 1-menthone to d-isomenthone (>12:1) are unique identifiers for the oil from the Columbia variety.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

[0023] ‘Columbia’ is an herbaceous perennial with an upright shrubby growth habit. The plant spreads by stolons. It is reasonable for a single rooted cutting to spread and cover 0.2-0.4 square meters after one growing season. Numerous branching stems are produced each year with an eventual height up to 1 m at flowering.

[0024] Stem and Leaves.

[0025] Columbia has a square stem, 5-7 mm on a side near the base. Mature leaves are ovate to lanceolate, oppositely arranged on the stem with an obtuse base, an acute apex, serrate margin, and generally decreasing in size towards the apex of a blooming stem. Leaf surface color is medium green, with the ventral leaf surface, petiole, and stem being a slightly lighter green color. The base of the stem has a more “woody” appearance and quality with more brownish coloring. The fragrance is sweet peppermint-like.

[0026] Flower. Columbia possesses a terminal flower spike with only a few very small bract-like leaves only at the base of the inflorescence. This differs from M. canadensis varieties. The individual flowers contain a 4-lobed, nearly regular pale lilac corolla with a short tube, 8 mm long from the base of the calyx to the tip of the forked white stigma. The calyx generally has an average of five teeth fused at the base forming a short tube and is 3 mm long. The calyx, peduncle and pedicel colors are light green. The formation of seed is a rare event. There is no major flower fragrance.

[0027] Columbia has been grown in different field locations and under greenhouse conditions. The basic morphological characteristics have remained consistent, with minor differences easily attributed to differences in maturity, climate, soils, fertilizer, water regime, etc. Columbia is distinct from other mints in its characteristics.

[0028] A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is a substitution of a nucleotide that occurs at a specific position in the genome. SNPs are the most common form of genome variation. SNPs are abundant and widely distributed within the genome. Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) is a method to discover SNP in order to perform genotyping studies. Mint genomic DNA was extracted and digested using restriction enzyme ApeKI. Next generation sequencing is performed resulting in about 100 bp single end reads. Raw sequence data are filtered and are aligned to Mentha longifolia genome as a reference. A total of 344,711 quality SNPs was found and selected from 11 M. x piperita varieties by using GBS.

[0029] Examples of SNPs among 8 peppermint varieties are shown in FIG. 3. It revealed 14 SNPs from physical position 500840-500852 which reads TTTTGTGGAGCTA for Columbia vs CCTACTGGAACCT for all other peppermint varieties and from 503965-503969 which reads ACTTT for Columbia vs CACCC for all other peppermint varieties.

[0030] The above genetic description based on SNP markers indicated a close genetic relationship between Columbia with other peppermint varieties and unique genetic profiles of Columbia from other peppermint varieties and the SNP variations are within the different varieties of the same peppermint species M. x. piperita.