San Diego Mesa Mint What's so important about a lowly mint plant? It's part of a delicate ecosystem, a neighborhood of plants and animals. GLOSSARY | MORE ABOUT SAN DIEGO MESA MINT

The students in Kathryn Wild's Ecology Club at Hickman School studied and drew this rare mint with the help of botanist Coralie Hull, who works in the U.S. Navy's Civil Engineering Department. Here's the poem they wrote about the mint, which is protected along with other rare plants and animals that exist on the grounds of Miramar Naval Air Station north of San Diego, California USA.

Special Species because they are almost extinct Amazing endangered animals; they are endangered because they occur only in San Diego. Natural reserve; with the help from children, these groups hope to encourage the builders to give this land up to the city as a natural reserve Description: strong mint smell, leaves opposite of each other on the square stem It lives in the vernal pools. The pool is dry, has rocks around it and yellow Flowers Endangered because building companies are building on the land where they grow Grows in vernal pools followed by autumn rains and Flowers about a month after the pools have dried Occurs only in San Diego county and nowhere else in the world Mesa mint has small, two-lipped, rose purple Fowers arranged in whorls. Ecology groups and naturalists are now Fighting to stop the destruction of the Mira Mesa Mint Scientifc name; pogogyne abramsii Annual plant; all plants are born and die within one year Mesa mint has a strong mint smell It resembles a tiny purple orchid Nectar; many insects visit the flower to get the nectar that is inside them The Mira mesa mint keeps all bugs out except aphids and ants.

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© 1997 The Special Species Project ®