Taxon Report

Poliomintha incana (Torr.) Gray

frosted mint

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Poliomintha incana, commonly known as frosted mint, is a perennial shrub in the Lamiaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Lower montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1600 to 1700 meters. Poliomintha incana is ranked 2A, Plants Presumed Extirpated in California, But More Common Elsewhere.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Poliomintha incana (Torr.) Gray
Common Name:	frosted mint
Family:	Lamiaceae
Element Code:	PDLAM1L020
USDA Plants Symbol:	POIN3
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial shrub
Blooming Period: Jun-Jul	Jun-Jul
Elevation:	1600-1700 (5250-5580)
General Habitats:	Lower montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2A
Global Rank:	G5
State Rank:	SH
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 1A to 2A on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	1
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	1

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Bernardino (SBD)*
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Big Bear City (3411637)*

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	%

Notes



Known in CA from only a single historical collection (in 1938) at Cushenbury Springs. Possibly extirpated by mining activities. See Botany of the U.S. and Mexican Boundary Survey, 2(1):130 (1858) by W. Emory for original description, and Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 7:247-296 (1870) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 29 October 2025].