LABIATZE. XLIV. Hyssorus. XLV. Cottinsonia. 
Globe-bearing Savory. Shrub. 
Cult. For culture and propagation, see Thymus, p. 771. 
XLIV. HYSSO'PUS (Hyssopus, of Pliny ; tccwzoc, of Di- 
oscorides ; derived from the Hebrew name of Hyssop, ezob, or 
the Arabic name azzof.) Benth. in bot. reg. vol. 15. lab. p. 
356. Hyssópus species, Lin. and other authors. 
Lin. syst. Didynàmia, Gymnospérmia. Calyx tubular, 15- 
nerved, equal, or with a somewhat oblique mouth; teeth 5, 
equal; throat naked inside. Corolla having the tube equalling 
the calyx, bilabiate ; upper lip erect, flat, emarginate: lower lip 
spreading trifid, middle lobe the largest. Stamens 4, exserted, 
diverging, didynamous: lower ones the longest; anthers 2- 
celled: cells linear, divaricate. Style somewhat equally bifid at 
top; lobes subulate, stigmatiferous at apex. This genus differs 
from all others belonging to the tribe Saturéia in the calyx, 
which is more allied to tribe Nepèteæ. 
1 H. orrrciNA' Lis (Lin. spec. 767.) h. H. Native of the 
South of Europe and Middle Asia; South of France, Italy, 
South of Germany, South of Russia; Caucasus and. the Altaian 
Mountains. Woodv. med. bot. 181. t. 65. Jacq. austr. 3. t. 
254.—Riv. mon. irr. t. 68.—Sabb. hort. rom. 3. t. 79. Shrub 
usually glabrous, diffuse, much branched. Corollas blueish pur- 
ple, rarely white. Whorls 6-15-flowered, approximate into 
terminal secund spikes, or the lower whorls are remote. Outer 
bracteas lanceolate-linear, acute, scarcely shorter than the ca- 
lyxes; inner bracteas minute. 
Var. a, latifolius (Benth. lab. p. 357.) leaves elliptic, glabrous, 
quaternately decussate, green. h. H. H. Fischéri, Hortul. 
H. alopecuroides, Fisch. ex Hortul. H. officinalis, B, decussà- 
tus, Pers. ench. 2. p. 114. H. myrtifólius, Desf. hort. par. 
Var. B, vulgàris (Benth. lab. p. 357.) leaves linear, lanceolate, 
usually glabrous, green on both surfaces. 5. H. H. officinà- 
lis, Lin. spec. 767. Jacq. fl. austr. 2. t. 254. Lam.ill. t. 502. 
and other authors. H. rüber. Bernh. 
Var. y, angustifdlius (Benth. lab. p. 357.) leaves narrow, ob- 
tuse, quite entire, with sub-revolute edges, narrowed more to the 
base, green on both surfaces. ^. H. Native of Caucasus and 
other places in Asia. H. angustifdlius, Bieb. fl. cauc. 2. p. 38. 
and 3. p. 389. H. Orientàlis, Adam. ex Willd. enum. 2. p. 
600. H. Caucásicus, Spreng. ex Steud. nom. ? 
Var. à, canéscens (Dl. fl. fr. suppl. 396. Benth. lab. p. 357.) 
The whole plant is canescent from villi of pubescence. h. H. 
Native of Switzerland and France, among the mountains. H. 
Schleichéri, G. Don. in Loud. hort. brit. p. 233. H. officinalis, 
Schleich. Corollas blue. This is an elegant plant when in 
blossom. 
The common hyssop, hysope, French, isop, Germ. and isopo, 
Ital., has a strong aromatic flavour, and warm pungent taste. 
The leaves and young shoots are occasionally used as a pot-herb, 
and the leafy tops and flower-spikes are cut, dried, and pre- 
served for medicinal purposes. Its virtues depend entirely on an 
essential oil, which rises in distillation both with water and with 
alcohol. Besides the general virtues of an aromatic, its prepa- 
rations were formerly recommended in humoral asthmas, coughs, 
and other disorders of the breast and lungs, and were said to 
promote expectoration. There are several varieties of hyssop 
cultivated, as the white and red-flowered ; but the blue-flowered 
is the original colour, and most commonly cultivated. 
Common or Officinal Hyssop. Fl. June, Sept. 
Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 
Cult. Hyssop is raised from seed, by slips and cuttings of the 
branches, and by dividing the plant at the root. It likes a dry, 
sandy soil. When it is propagated by seed, sow in March or 
April a small portion either broad-cast and raked in, or in small 
drills 6 inches apart. The plants may mostly be transplanted 
Cit. 1548. 
773 
into final beds in June or July, 9 inches apart, or some may be 
planted as an edging, or you may also sow some seed for an 
edging, to remain where sown. Give the edgings occasional 
trimmings in their established growth, cutting away also any de- 
cayed flower-spikes in autumn. You may take rooted offsets 
from established plants in March, April, August, or September ; 
cuttings from the stalks in April and May ; also cuttings of the 
young shoots in June and July. After May shade for a time, or 
plant in a shady border. If for culinary purposes the distance 
from plant to plant may be nine inches; in the physic garden 
18 inches or 2 feet. Water at planting, and twice or thrice a 
week in dry weather till rooted. 
XLV. COLLINSO' NIA (named by Linneus in honour of 
Peter Collinson, F. R. S., a most distinguished promoter of 
botanical studies, and the first who introduced this plant, among 
many others, to the English gardens, Miller.) Lin. gen. no. 40. 
Schreb. gen. no. 51. Gaertn. fruct. p. 317. t. 66. Juss. gen. 
p. 112. ed. Usteri, p. 125. Benth. lab. p. 357. 
Lin. syst. Diándria, Monogynia. Fructiterous calyx decli- 
nate, ovate, 10-nerved; throat almost naked inside; limb 
bilabiate ; upper lip truncate, flattish, tridentate: lower lip 
bifid. Corolla exserted, sub-campanulate ; tube a little ex- 
serted; throat widened; limb sub-bilabiate, the 4 superior 
lobes nearly equal: the lower lobe usually the longest, decli- 
nate, flattish, toothed or lacerately fringed. Stamens 2 or 4, 
divaricate, much exserted: upper ones the shortest, or alto- 
gether abortive; anthers 2-celled: cells divaricate, often conflu- 
ent. Style about equally bifid at top; stigmas minute, termi- 
nal. Achenia dry and smooth.—Strong-scented herbs, with the 
habit almost of Plectranthus, Section Germdnea. Cauline leaves 
large, but the floral leaves are small and bractea-formed, Flowers 
pedicellate, solitary ; pedicels opposite, disposed in simple but 
usually paniculately-branched racemes. Calyx small, in the flo- 
riferous state, but increasing much to the fructiferous state. Co- 
rollas yellow, or yellowish purple. . 
1 C. Caxapz'wsis (Lin. spec. p. 30. hort. cliff. 14. t. 5.) stems 
almost glabrous; leaves broad-ovate, acuminated, rounded at 
the base, sub-cordate, or rarely cuneated, glabrous; panicles 
elongated, loose, many-flowered ; flowers diandrous. t. H. 
Native from Canada to Carolina, among rocks and stones, in 
woods. C. decussàta, Moench, meth. p. 379. C. ovàlis, Pursh, 
fl. amer. sept. 1. p. 21. C. cuneàta, Wender. schrift. nat. ges. 
marb. ? Stem branched, glabrous or a little downy. Leaves am- 
ple, glabrous, or minutely-glandular, serrately-crenated. Corolla 
yellow, 4 times longer than the floriferous calyx. 
Mr. Bartram was the first who discovered this plant, and sent 
it to Europe. It has a peculiar scent, which is agreeable but 
very strong. It is reputed to be an excellent remedy against 
pains in the limbs and a cold, if the parts affected be rubbed 
with it: a decoction of it is also said to have cured the bite of 
the rattle-snake. In the States they call the plant horse-weed, 
because the horses eat it in the spring before any other plant 
comes up. 
Canadian Collinsonia. Fl. Aug. Oct. Shrub 1 
to 2 feet. 
2 C. ruserdsa (Michx. fl. bor. amer. 1. p. 17.) leaves some- 
what rhomboid-oval, acute, cuneated at the base ; panicles elon- 
gated, loose, much branched, many-flowered ; flowers diandrous. 
. F. Native of Carolina, in shady, humid parts of woods. C. 
serótina, Walt. fl. car. 65. ex Pursh. Stem almost terete at 
bottom, branched. Leaves 13 inch long; cauline ones opposite, 
cordate. Calycine teeth setaceous, much longer than the tube. 
Flowers much smaller than those of C. Canadénsis. 
Tuberous-rooted Collinsónia. Fl. Aug. Clt. 1806, Pl. 1 to 
1} foot, 
Clt. 1734. 
