LABIATA. LXVIII. Nereta. 
with hoary pubescence; leaves petiolate, ovate, acute, deeply 
crenated, cordate at the base, green above, but clothed with 
hoary tomentum beneath; racemes a little branched; whorls 
dense, many-flowered ; bracteas scarcely longer than the pedi- 
cels ; calyx ovate, pubescent, a little incurved, with an oblique 
mouth and lanceolate-subulate rather spreading teeth; corolla 
one half longer than the calyx. 2. H. Native almost through- 
out the whole of Europe, and Middle Asia, on walls, in hedges, 
and in waste places; plentiful in Britain. Smith, engl. bot. t. 
137. Fl. dan. t. 580. Cataria vulgaris, Meench. meth. p. 387. 
N. vulgaris, Lam. fl. fr. 2. p. 398. N. citriodóra, Becker, fl. 
francof. p. 218. N. minor, Mill. dict. no. 2. N. Americana, 
Meench. ex Steud. nom. bot. p. 552. ?—Sabb. hort. rom. 3. t. 
80.—Lob. icon. 511. f. 1.  Pubescent or tomentosely canescent. 
Leaves 1i inch long. Lower cymes on short peduncles. Co- 
rollas white, with a tinge of red, spotted with purple. The whole 
plant has a strong scent between mint and pennyroyal. It is 
called cat-mint, because cats are very fond of it, especially when 
it is withered, when they will roll themselves on it, tear it to 
pieces, and chew it with great pleasure. Ray observes, that 
plants, which he transplanted from the field into his garden, were 
always destroyed by cats, unless he protected them with thorns 
till they had taken root and came into flower, but that they never 
meddled with plants raised from seed; hence the old saying: 
“if you set it the cats will eat it; if you sow it the cats don't 
knowit." Mr. Miller has confirmed this by his own experience, 
having frequently set a plant from another part of the garden 
within two feet of others which came up from seed, when 
the former was torn in pieces and destroyed by the cats, whilst 
the latter remained untouched. The true reason of this differ- 
ence is assigned by Ray ; that cats are fond of it in a withering 
state, or when the peculiar scent of the plant is excited by being 
handled or bruised in gathering or transplanting. 
An infusion of Cat-mint is deemed a specific in chlorotic 
cases. Two ounces of the expressed juice may be given for a 
dose. Sheep are said to eat it; but all other domestic animals 
are said to refuse it. 
Var. P, cándida (Benth. lab. p. 477.) leaves deeply crenated, 
pale above and white beneath. Y.H 
Cat-mint, Common. 
feet. 
35 N. NzPrTE'LLA (Lin. spec. p. 797.? Benth. lab. p. 477.) 
plant erect, pubescent, or clothed with hoary tomentum ; leaves 
on short petioles, lanceolate, crenated, rounded or cordate at the 
base, clothed with hoary pubescence or tomentum on both sur- 
faces ; racemes many-flowered, nearly simple; bracteas scarcely 
longer than the pedicels; calyx tubular, incurved, with an oblique 
mouth ; corolla twice as long as the calyx. 2/4. H. Native of 
the South of Europe, especially on the mountains ; as of Spain, 
Provence, Switzerland; Italy, from Piedmont and Liguria to 
Naples. This is a very variable plant, especially in gardens. 
Corollas usually twice the size of those of N. Catdria, white, 
purplish, or blue. 
A i ar. a, major (Benth. lab. p. 477.) raceme elongated, many- 
owered ; flowers white or purplish. Y.H. Native of shady 
places. N, Nepetélla, All. ped. 1. p. 37. t. 2. f. 1. bad. Rchb. 
Icon. bot. eur. 3. p. 35. t. 261. Catària Nepetélla, Moench. 
meth. p.388. N. amethystina, Desf. ex Poir. suppl. 3. p. 206. 
: paniculàta, Mill. dict. no. 4. Stems 3-4 feet high. Whorls 
as in N. Catària, large and dense, many -flowered, disposed in a 
long raceme, 
Var. B, humilis 
Fl. July, Sept. Britain. Pl. 2 to 4 
i (Benth. lab. p. 478.) racemes short, dense ; 
flowers white or purplish. 2%. H. Native in dry exposed 
places, N, lanceolata, Lam. dict. 1. p. 710. Rchb. icon. bot. 
eur. 6. p. 20. t. 536. N. angustifolia, Vahl, symb. 1. p. 41. 
807 
N. gravéolens, Vill. dauph. 2. p. 366. N. Arragonénsis, Lam. 
dict. l. p. 703. Plant humble. Racemes 2-3 inches long. 
Var. y, incàna (Benth. lab. p. 478.) leaves clothed with hoary 
tomentum, and more wrinkled. 1. H. N. incàna, Ait. hort. 
kew. 2. p. 285. 
Small-Nepeta Cat-mint. Fl. July, Sept. 
to 4 feet. 
36 N. cya’nza (Stev. in mem. soc. nat. cur. mosq. 3. p. 265. 
Benth. lab. p. 478.) ascending, humble, paniculately branched ; 
branches clothed with hoary tomentum ; leaves petiolate, small, 
ovate or oblong, crenated, wrinkled, clothed with hoary tomen- 
tum on both surfaces ; racemes numerous, short, secund ; brac- 
teas very short; calyx tubular, incurved, clothed with hoary to- 
mentum; corolla scarcely longer than the calyx: tube inclosed. 
^t. H. Native of Eastern Caucasus, in gravelly places at the 
Falls of Chodgal, Steven; at the Falls of the Terek, and in 
stony places near Nartzana, C. A. Meyer. N. incàna, Bieb. fl. 
cauc. 2. p. 40. 3. p. 392. Rchb. icon. bot. eur. 4. t. 305. and 
numerous other authors, but not of Aiton. N. acinifolia, Spreng. 
pug. 1. p. 41. syst. 2. p. 727. N. mollíssima, Tausch, in bot. 
zeit. 1831. 1. p. 219.? Stems trichotomously panicled, as in N. 
Ucranica, but the branches are terminated by short unilateral 
racemules, not corymbs. Corollas small, blue or white. 
Blue-flowered Cat-mint. Pl. 1 foot.? 
37 N. Meye'r1 (Benth. lab. p. 478.) plant humble, ascending; 
branches finely pubescent; leaves petiolate, ovate, obtuse, cre- 
nated, cordate at the base, greenish on both surfaces, pubescent 
beneath; racemes nearly simple, many-flowered; bracteas much 
shorter than the calyxes; calyx elongated, incurved, pubescent, 
with an oblique mouth ; corollas scarcely half as long again as 
the calyx, with an inclosed tube. 2t. H. Native of Caucasus, 
in dry, stony places on the Talusch mountains near Swant. N. 
micrantha, Meyer, verz. pflanz. p. 91. but not of Bung. 
An intermediate plant between N. Mussini and N. Catària. Cau- 
line leaves an inch long; upper floral leaves minute. Corollas 
like those of N. Cataria. 
Meyer’s Cat-mint. Pl. 1 to 1 foot. 
38 N. acre'stis (Lois. nouv. not. 25.? Benth. lab. p. 479.) 
erect, almost glabrous ; leaves petiolate, ovate-lanceolate, deeply 
toothed, subcordate at the base, nervosely wrinkled, green on 
both surfaces; racemes elongated, nearly simple ; bracteas 
scarcely longer than the pedicels; calyx elongated, incurved, 
villous, with an oblique mouth ; corolla scarcely twice as long as 
the calyx, having the tube shortly exserted, 27. M. Native of 
Corsica and Spain, on Mount Urchillo, near Orcelia. Stem a little 
branched, clammy. Leaves } to l inch long, rather clammy. 
Calyx clammy, villous. Corollas white, a little larger than those 
of N. Catària. 
Field Cat-mint. Pl. 2 feet. 
39 N. azu'nEa (R. Br. in append. to Salt. abyss. Benth. lab. 
p. 479.) plant erect ; leaves sessile, ovate or ovate-oblong, cre- 
nated, subcordate at the base, wrinkled, canescent beneath; ra- 
cemes simple; cymes nearly sessile; whorls dense, the upper 
ones subspicate ; bracteas minute; calyx subovate, incurved, 
pubescent, with an oblique mouth ; corolla twice as long as the 
calyx. Xt. H. Native of Abyssinia, Salt. Stems finely tomen- 
tose. Leaves green above. Corolla blue, with the tube a little 
exserted, and attenuated at the base. 
Azure-flowered Cat-mint. Pl. 1 to 2 feet. 
40 N. racemosa (Lin. spec. 1. p. 711.) plant erect, pubes- 
cent; leaves petiolate, ovate, obtuse, crenated, cordate at the 
base, green and wrinkled above, and canescent beneath ; racemes 
loose, nearly simple; cymes almost sessile, or the lower ones are 
pedunculate, few-flowered ; bracteas much shorter than the ca- 
lyxes; calyx elongated, incurved, clothed with soft wool, with 
Cit 172837 Pia 
