M 



N 



MEN 



■ - ^ 



This mny be propagated by parting of the roots, 

 which fpread out on the fide, fo that part of 'them 

 may be cut off every other year ^ the befl: time for 

 doing this is in the fpring, a little before the plants 

 begin to fiioot v thefe (hould be planted in a warm fi- 

 tuation and; have a light foil, for in ftrong land, 

 where the wet is detained in winter, the roots are 

 apt to rot ; therefore if they are planted clofe to a 

 wall expofed to the fouth or weft, their ftalks may 

 be faftcned againft the'^wall, to prevent their trailing 

 upon the ground ; and in this fituation the plants 

 will frequently flower, and by having a little llielter 

 in fevere froft, their ftalks may be preferved from 



injury. 

 ■ There is little beauty in thefe plants, but yet they are 

 preferved in many gardens for the fake of Variety, for 

 which reafon they are here inferted. 



MENTHA. Tourn. Inft- R. H. i88. tab. 89: Lin. 



Gen. Plant. 6^^. [Mi''i'9»i, according to the ancients, 

 a goddefs, as alfo according to the poets. The an- 

 cients alfo gave it the name of Sweet-fmelling, and 

 where this word is' found, this plant is underftood. 

 Mentha is likewife fo called of Mens, LaL the mind, 

 becaufe this plant is faid to ftrengthen the mind.] 

 Mint-,' in French, Menthe. 



The Characters are, 



// hath a lip flower of one petals fitting on a permanent 



tubulous empakment of one leaf which is erect ^ and cut 



at the brim into five equal fegments. "The fube of the 



petal is a little longer than the empakment. The chaps are 



cut into four almofi equal fegments^ the upper being a 



little larger and indented. It hath four awl-fhaped fta- 



mlna^ which are ereEf^ ftanding afunder^ the two near eft 



being longeft \ they are terminated by roundifh fummits, 



and in the bottom of the tube is fituated a four-pointed 



germen^ fupporting afiender ere^ftyle^ crowned by a bifid 



fpreading ftigma. ihe germen afterward turns to four 



naked feeds fitting in the empakment. 



' This genus pf plants is ranged in the firft feftion of 



, Linnseus's fourteentH clafs, which includes thofe 



'Iv' plants wKofe flowers have two long and two fhorter 



ftamina, "arid the feeds ripen in the empalement. 



-; The Species are, -; '-•.". 



l\ Mentha {Viridis) floribus fpicatis, foliis oblongis 

 ferratis. Hort. Upfal. 168. Mntwith fpiked flowers^ 

 .' and oblong fawed leaves. Mentha anguftifolia ipicata. * 

 ■^' C. B. P. 227. Narrow-leaved fpiked Mint, conimonly 

 \ , called Spear Mint. 



2. Mentha (Glabra) floribus fpicatis, foliis longiori- 

 ■ bus glabris, fuperne minime ferratis. Mint with 

 ' fpiked flowers^ and longer fmooth leaves, which are very 

 \ ' flightly fawed toward their points, Mentha anguftifo- 

 ■'"'iia fpicata glabra. Rand. Narrow-leaved, fmooth, fpiked 



"• Mint.^ ■-■ ^..^ 



3; Mentha {Candicans) foliis lanceolatis ferratis, fub- 



tus'incams, floribus fpicatis hirfutifllmisi' iV^;?/ 'ze?//i& 



fpear-fhaped fawed leaves, ^^^hicb ark hoary W tbeir^n- 



derfide, and very hairy fpiked flowers. M.tnxh^ Syl- 



Veftris candicans, odore fativi. jDoody. Raii Syn. 



, fmelling like that 





i- 



^^-^•i-r- 



K 



'--^X ^ "i -^ 





App. WildMxntof a white i 



■ of the garden. '\ - %;,v. :;,.,. . - - ^. . 



4.' Mentha {Syhefiris) fpicis confertis, Yoliis ferratis 



- tomentbfis feflilibus. Hort. Cliff. 306. Mnt with 



^\. fpikes of flowers growing in clufters, and woolly fawed 



' kavesfittinf clofe to the ftalks: Mentha 'fylveftris Ion- 



^-"-giore folio. C. B.P. 227. Wild Mint With a longer leaf 



5. Mentha (Jtquatlca) fpicis craflloribus, foliis dvato- 

 lanceolatis ferratis fubtus tomentofis petiolatisr.Mw/ 



with thicker 'fpikes, and oval, fpear-fhaped, fawed leaves, 

 ' '*-'' which are woolly on their under ^ fide, and have foot- 

 ^^flatks. ;Mentaftri aquatici genm'hirfutuni, Ipica la- 

 l tiore. T. B. ^. 222. Hairy Heater Mint with a broad- 

 er fpike. 



6. Mentha 



XI ^-- 



t ' 



--' 



L 

 A, 



{Piperita) fpicis craflloribus interruptis, 

 foliis lanceolatis acute ferratis. Mint with thicker fpikeS 

 of flowers,'^ which are interrupted, and fpear-fhaped 

 leaves which are fharply fawed. Mentha fervida ni- 

 gricans, piperis fapore. Rand. . Hort. Chel. "Cat. 

 Blackifh hot .^nt with a tafte like Pep^er^ commonly 

 called Pepper Mnt;T^''^-f:-' '■ ^ - ' ''"' 



which are waved, and fit clofe to the ftalks. 



8. 



7. Mentha {Crifpa) floribus fpicatis, foliis coraat-. 

 dentatis undulatis feflilibus. Hort. Clift; 906 A;- 

 with fpiked flcusers, and heart ^fl^aped indented leave! 



crifpa Danica five Germanica fpcciola. Mor. Hift ^ 

 p. 367. Banifh or Ger-man curled Mint. ' ^' 



Mentha [RotundifoUa) fpicis confertis, foUis ova 

 tis rugofis feflilibus. Mint with fpikes grooving topether 

 and oval rough kaves fitting clofe to the ftalk. Men* 

 taftrum folio rugofo rotundiore fpontaneum fiore 

 fpicato, odore gravi. J. B. 3. 217. Wild Mint mtb 

 a rounder rough leaf, and a fpiked flower, bavin? 

 ftrong f cent. - ^ 



9. Mentha {Rubra) fpicis confertis interruptis, foliis 

 oblongo-ovatis acuminacis dentatis feflilibus. Mint 

 with interrupted fpkes of flowers grozving together and 

 oblong, oval, acute-pbinted, indented leaves, fitting; cicfe 

 to the ftalk. Mentha rotundifolia rubra, aurantii odo- 

 re. Mor. Hift. 3. Q,6(^. Round-leaved red Mint, fmellinz 

 like an Orange, commonly called Orange Miflt. 



10. Mentha {Chakpenfa) foliis oblongis 



tomentofis feflilibus, 



utnnque 



dentatis, 

 fpicis tenuioribus. 



chalepenfe, 

 raro florens. Boerh. Ind. alt. 



Mint with oblong indented leaves^ which are woolly on 

 both fides, fet clofe to the ftalk, and very narrow fpikes 

 of flowers. Mentraftum chalepenfe, anguftifolium 



p. 185. Narrow-leaved 

 wild Mint of Aleppo, which rarely flowers. 



II. MENTHA (Paluftr is) floribus^ capjtatis, foliis ovatis 

 ferratis petiolatis, ftaminibus corolla Ibngioribus. 

 Hort. Cliffy 306. Mint with flowers growing in heads, ' 

 oval fawed leaves having foot ftalks, and ftamina longer 

 than the petals. Mentha rotundifolia paluftris five 

 aquatica major. C. B. P. 227. Greater round-leavei 

 Water Mint. 



12. 



Me 



ntha {Nigricans) floribus capitatis, folHslan- 



\. ceblatis ferratis fubpetiolatis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 576. 



^nt with flowers growing in heads, and fpear-fhaped 



fawed kaves with very fhort foot-ftalks. Mentha fer- 



. vida nigricans latifolia. Rand. Broad-leaved blackijb 

 ' * Tepper Mint. - ' ' - -c ^^^^ . ... -. , ....^ 



13. Mentha {Arvenfis) floribus verticillatis, foliis ova- 

 tis acutis ferratis. femiriibus corolla brevioribus. Lin. 



Sp. Plant, sjj. Mint with flowers ^' growing in ivbhrls, 



^ oval, acute, fawed kaves, and ftamina fhorter than the 



petals. \ Mentha "arvenfis, verticillata hirfuta. J. B, * 



3. 2. 217. fFhorkd hairy fleld AIirit,'^or Calamint of the 

 fioops. 



14. Mentha {Exigua) floribus verticillatis, foliis ova- 

 tis dentatis, ftaminibus corolla longioribus,. Mint with 



^ flowers growing in whorls, oval indented leaves, andfia" 

 mina longer- than the petals. Mentha aquatica, exigua. 

 Trag, Lib. i. c, 6. SmalkftJVater M)ft\ ' " ■: " 



15. Mentha (Gentilis) floribus verticillatis, foliis. ova- 

 tis, marginibus ciliatis, ftaminibus corpUam ^quan- 

 tibus. Mint with whorledflowers, oval leaves whofe lor* 

 defs are 'hairy, and ftamina equalling ihepetalsl Men- 

 tha verticillata, rotundiore folio,'" odore 6cymi. Dale* 



'- JVborled Mint with a rounder leaf, 'fmelling like Bqfil 



16. Mentha (Hirfuta) floribus verticillatis, foliis ova- 

 tis ferratis hirfutis, ftaminibus corolla longioribus. 



:' MinTwith whorledflowers, oval, fawed, hairy leaves J^nd 

 *' ftamina longer than the'^petals.'-'^ Mentha aquatica five 

 . fifymbrium hirfutus. J. B. 3. 2. 224^ Water Mnt, 



^ m^ hairy Sifymbrium:'^:^:^^ '^ ■ T „ 



17. Mentha {Verticiliata) floribus yerticillatis, foliis 

 '; lanceolatis acutis ferratis, rugofis,ll:amimbws corol- 



sequantibus." MW with whorled flowers, fpear- 



Jaapea^ acute-pointed^ Tanned, rough leaves, ana Jt amino- 



--"•'"'••■ ^-"'^ Mentha -— - ' — -' 



equalling ' the ^petals. ''\ Mentha VeVtrcilhta, longion 

 acuminato folio, odore aromaticd. Rand. Hon. Chel. 

 Cat. Whorled Mnt -with a longer aaite-tointedleaf, and 



an aromatic fcent, t" "r" " ;' '^ ^. 



There are feveral other varieties of this genus, which 

 have beeii found growing naturally in England, of wnicn 

 I have twelve or more in my own colicdion j but as 1 

 fufpeft fome of them to be only accidental varFations, 

 arifing from the different foils ^ and fituacions* where 

 tKey have been found, I have not eniimerated them 

 all here ; thofe which are here mentioned, I take ^^ 



Fe'diftina fpecies, having cultivated them more then 



^ ' ^ thirty 



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