LABIATA. XL. OnicaNuM. 
the longest. Style almost equally bifid at top : stigmas minute. 
Achenia dry, smoothish.— Herbs. Leaves quite entire, or a 
little toothed. Flowers collected into cylindrical or oblong 
spikelets. Bracteas imbricate, coloured, covering the calyxes, 
but more loose than in the genus Marjordna. 
1 O. Srpy‘teum (Lin. spec. 833.) stems decumbent, panicu- 
lately-branched at top; leaves on short petioles, quite entire : 
lower ones roundish, hispid, or woolly : upper ones ovate, quite 
glabrous, glaucous ; spikelets oblong, solitary, or by threes, nu- 
tant; bracteas loose, ovate, coloured; calyx quite glabrous, 
having the three superior teeth longer. h. F. Native of the 
Levant and Greece; on Mount Sipylos in Phrygia ; and between 
Smyrna and Bursa, Sibthorp. Near Aleppo, Russell. On Mount 
Delphus, Sibthorp. O. hybridum, Mill. dict. no. 12. O. Sipy- 
leum, Sibth. et Smith, fl. graec. 6. p. 57. t. 570. Oríganum, 
montis sipyli, Herm. lugdb. 462. t. 463. Origanum Sipyleus, 
marjoranee foliis, Mor. hist. 3. p. 357. sect. 11. t. 4. f. 2. Pro- 
cumbent at the base. Sterile branches short, very villous. 
Leaves thick, woolly on both surfaces. Floriferous stems gla- 
brous, with a few remote leaves. Tube of corolla equalling the 
calyx. Corolla pale purple. ? 
Sipylos Marjoram. FI. June, Sept. 
13 foot. 
2 O. compa’crum (Benth. lab. p. 334.) humble, almost simple ; 
leaves nearly sessile, ovate, obtuse, scarcely serrated; spikes 
densely capitate, cylindrical; bracteas elongated, lanceolate, 
acute, coloured, twice as long as the calyx. h. F. Native near 
Tangiers, Salzmann. O. glanduldsum, Salzm. pl. exsic. but not 
of Desf. Stems rising from a suffruticose base, simple. Leaves 
smaller and stiffer than in O. vulgare, but the bracteas are a 
little larger, and all acute. Teeth of calyx bearded inside: the 
3 upper ones rather the longest. Corolla pale purple. ? 
Compact Marjoram. PI. 4 to $ foot. 
3 O. vurcA'nE (Lin. spec. 824.) erect, villous ; leaves petio- 
late, ovate, obtuse, serrated a little, rounded at the base, green 
on both surfaces; spikelets oblong or cylindrical, glomerate, 
corymbosely-panicled ; bracteas ovate, obtuse, coloured, from 
half as long again as the calyx to twice as long. 2. H. Native 
of Europe, North of Africa, and Middle Asia, by way-sides, 
in hedges, and in woods ; plentiful in some parts of Britain; Cau- 
casus, Siberia, Cashmere ; also from Pennsylvania to Carolina, but 
probably escaped from gardens. Curt. lond. 3. with a figure, 
Woodv. med. bot. 451. t. 164. Oed. fl. dan. t. 638. Sab. 
hort. rom. 3. t. 75. Smith, engl. bot. 1143. O. stoloníferum, 
Bess. O. orientale, Mill. dict. no. 5. O. decipiens, Wallr.— 
Blackw. t. 280.—Riv. mon. 60. f. 1. Habit very variable. Stems 
numerous, erect, more or less hairy, often reddish. Leaves 
more or less villous, rarely almost glabrous.  Bracteas usually 
glabrous and reddish. Corolla exserted, usually purple, rarely 
white, with green bracteas. The wild marjoram is an aromatic 
and ornamental plant. The dried leaves, used instead of tea, are 
extremely grateful; they are also used in fomentations; the 
essential oil is so acrid that it may be considered as a caustic, 
and was formerly used with that intention by farriers. A little 
cotton moistened with it and put into the hollow of an aching 
tooth, frequently relieves the pain. The tops will dye linen of a 
reddish brown. This species is only used in cookery in default 
of one of the other marjorams. 
Var. B, prismáticum (Gaud. ex Benth. lab. p. 335.) fructife- 
rous spikes elongated, prismatic. %. H. Native of the region 
of the Mediterranean. O. heracleóticum, Rchb. fl. germ. exc. 
313, but not of Lin. O. Créticum, Lin. spec. 823. O. macro- 
stachyum, Link, handb. 468. O. megastàchyum, Link, enum. 2. 
p.114.? O. latifolium, Mill. dict. no. 3. This hardly differs 
from the species, except in the spikelets being elongated, and the 
flowers generally white; but they are also purple. 
Clt. 1699. Shrub 1 to 
765 
Var. y. hümile (Mart. Mill. dict. no. 8. Benth. lab. p. 335.) 
hardly half a foot high, nearly glabrous; leaves narrower, spike- 
lets small, numerous, corymbose. h.H. Native of Asia, in 
shady places. O. hümile, Mill. dict. no. 4. Poir. suppl. 4. p. 
186. Corollas purple. 
Var. à, virens (Benth. lab. p. 335.) bracteas hardly coloured, 
usually pubescent. 3. H. Native of Portugal and Cashmere. 
O. virens, Hoffm. et Link, fl. port. 1. p. 119. t. 9. O. oblong- 
àtum, Link, enum. 2. p. 114. O. thymiflorum, Rchb. fl. germ. 
exc. p. 313. 
Common or Wild Marjoram. 
1 to 2 feet. 
4 O. xonMA'Lr (D. Don. prod. fl. nep. p. 113.) ascending, 
villous ; leaves petiolate, ovate, bluntish, cuneately-rounded at 
the base, green on both surfaces; spikelets small, oblong, glo- 
merate, corymbosely-panicled ; bracteas lanceolate, acute, ex- 
ceeding the calyxes a little. %.H. Native of the Himalaya, 
Cashmere, Nipaul, Kamaon, and Sirmore, Wall; and Siberia, at 
Lake Baical. Stems paniculately branched at top. Bracteas 
spreading, a little green, pubescent. Calyx of O. vulgare, but 
the corolla is smaller, and probably purple. Stamens probably 
always inclosed. 
Normal Marjoram. Fl. June, Aug. Clt. 1819. 
feet. 
5 O. HERACLEÓŐTICUM (Lin. spec. p. 823.) plant erectish, gla- 
brous or villous, glandular ; leaves on short petioles, ovate, ob- 
tuse, quite entire, rounded at the base ; panicle elongated ; spike- 
lets oblong or elongated, glomerate ; bracteas ovate, acute, green, 
pubescent, equalling the calyxes. Y%.H. Native of the region 
of the Mediterranean; as on Mount Atlas, near Mascar ; Cala- 
bria; some of the Grecian Islands; and about Smyrna and 
Constantinople; also about Odessa. O. glandulósum, Desf. fl. 
atl. 2. p. 27. O. Smyrne'um, Sibth. et Smith, fl. græc. 6. p. 
57. t. 571, but not of Lin. O. Créticum, Sieb. pl. exsic. and 
of other authors, but not of Lin.—Lob. icon, 492. A very vari- 
able species, dissimilar in habit to the others, but readily recog- 
nized by the bracteas being longer than the calyxes; by the 
loose spikes and small flowers. Stamens more or less villous. 
Leaves pale green, glabrous or pubescent. Flowers one half 
smaller than those of O. vulgare, white. Bracteas often decidu- 
ous, usually pubescent. "This, the winter sweet marjoram, re- 
quires a sheltered, dry soil, and seldom ripens seed in this 
country, and is usually propagated by slips or cuttings. Like 
other marjorams it is an aromatic, of sweet flavour, much used 
as relishing herbs in soups and broths, stuffings, &c. The 
young, tender tops and leaves together are used in summer in a 
green State, and they are dried for winter. 
Var. B, hàmile (Benth. lab. p. 336.) 2t. H. O. parviflorum, 
D'Urv. enum. pl. arch. in mem. soc. Lin. par. p. 327. 
Heraclean, or Winter Sweet Marjoram, or Bastard Marjoram. 
Fl. June, Nov. Clt. 1640. Pl. 1 foot. 
6 O. raxrrrónuM (Royle, in Hook. bot. misc. 3. p. 376.) stem 
procumbent, villous; leaves on short petioles, broad-ovate, ob- 
tuse, almost entire, rounded at the base, green on both surfaces, 
pubescent ; bracteas acute, rather longer than the calyxes, green, 
and are, as well as the flowers, disposed in very loose spikes. 
.H. Native of the Himalaya at Nagkanda, Royle. Leaves 
like those of O. vulgare, but differs otherwise from it in the 
stems being procumbent; and especially in the spikes being 
loose, not imbricated. 
Loose-flowered Marjoram. | Pl. procumbent. 
7 O. Maséricum (Cambess. enum. pl. balear. p. 124.) stem 
loosely tomentose ; leaves elliptic, pubescent; flowers fascicu- 
late; calyx and corolla bilabiate. %4. H. Native of the Bal- 
earic Islands, in arid places. Spikes very short, globose. Ca- 
lyx glandular : upper lip deeply tridentate: lower lip shorter, 
Fl. June, Oct. Britain. Pl. 
PLTto? 
