I think before we decide for certain that the leaves are compound, it would be a good idea if we could see a fuller view of the leaves which will show if they are, or are not compound and if any leaves have been broken off. Too much is hidden to be sure.

The seemingly compound leaves on the right have an odd looking leaf which either has two pointed tips, or it's another leaf looking like it's part of the leaf.

I look at the leaf venation, the ID plant has venation almost identical to the upper leaf on my Nepeta cataria citriodora and the 'teeth' on the leaf edges are almost identical in shape. We are trying to make guesses on one photo, I think the plant should flower this summer and that will help solve it.

It could also help to know where it is growing (country at least) and see a picture of the whole plant. Janet, does your Nepeta have fuzzy nodes, as the ID plant appears to have?

The stems are fuzzy, I have a pic which shows a node but maybe not that clear. I can get more photos from the current plant but it's not sent up flowering stems yet.



The young plant which shows more hairy stems ..

These will be the hairs you can see on the ID plant Sue ..

Some stems on mine are now starting to shoot up, I got a pic which shows long hairs on the node with a few scattered up the petioles which also have a lot of shorter fuzzy hairs mostly on the inner side. That might change as it gets taller.

I'll have to upload the pics later.

JRsbugs said:These will be the hairs you can see on the ID plant Sue ..

Yep, those are the ones. So far the only minty plant I've found with those is Glechoma hederacea and it's obviously not that.

https://www.minnesotawildflowe...

I'm not seeing it on pictures of the "regular" Nepeta cataria. I'm not sure if I can find an actual plant outdoors, I did weed one out the other day.

I didn't find any Nepeta cataria so I looked at a stem of N. 'Walker's Low'. It has the hairs, so is in line with the ID plant. Having said that, how many other mints might have hairs at the nodes, so not necessarily all that diagnostic I suppose. Picture isn't the best, I tried to get in close with just an iPod, but it does show the "fringe" at the node. I guess if any candidates don't have the hairs it might narrow the field - they seem to be more noticeable at the upper nodes - but one would need an actual specimen to check.

I took two shots of different nodes, there's long spread out hairs for some distance up the leaf stem/petiole on the edges.

Spot the tiny springtail! They are around 0.5 to 1mm long.

Nice clear pictures, Janet. So we know Nepeta at least has the hairs. Love the little globular springtail, I think they're cute, like little micro-bunnies

The springtail is Deuterosminthurus pallipes, the females are 1mm with males half the size. They come in purple too, and they kiss.




It is part of the ID as one is on my plant!

Springtail romance I often see globular orangey ones on plants here, especially daylilies. I'd assumed they might be Bourletiella hortensis but never actually tried to ID them.