\ 
453 
ORIGANUM MAJORANA. SWEET MARJORAM 
STNONTMA. Majorana. Pharm. Lond. & Ed'inb. Majorana 
vulgaris. Baub. Pin. p. 224. Rait Hift. p. 538. Majorana 
vulgaris aeftiva. Park. 1 heat. p. 11. Majorana major. Gerard 
Emac. p. 664-. 
f afs Didynamia. Ord. Gymnofpermia. Lin. Gen. Plant. 726 
EJf. Gen. Cb.. Strobilus tetragonus, fpicatus, calyces colligens. 
Sp. Cb. O. foliis ovatis obtufis, fpicis fubrotundis compacts 
pubefcentibus. 
THE root is perennial, brown, and- furniflied with many long 
tough fibres: the ftalks are numerous, woody, branched, fquare, and 
rife a foot and an half in; height : the leaves are egg-fhaped, obtufe, 
downy, entire, of a pale green colour, and fland in pairs upon foot- 
ftalks : the flowers are fmall, white, and appear mcceflively between 
the bra&eal leaves, which are numerous, and form round compact 
terminal fpikes : the calyx is tubular, and divided at the brim into 
five pointed fegments : the corolla confifts of a funnel-fhaped tube, 
divided at the limb into two lips, of which the uppermoft is erect 
and roundiih ; the undermoft is cut into three pointed fegments : the 
other parts of fru&ification refemble thole of O. vulgare. The 
flowers appear in Auguft. * 
This plant is thought to be the 2«#4* % o» or Amaracus of the ancients : 8 
it has been long cultivated in our gardens, and in. frequent ufe for 
been made k 
y purpofes ; but the place of which it is a native h 
1 
The leaves and' tops of Marjoram have a pleafant fmell, and 
oderately warm aromatic bitterifh taffe. They yield their virtu 
• The Amaracus is noticed both by Virgil and Catullus ; : 
ubi mollis amaracus ilium 
Floribus et dulci afpirans complc&itur umbra. JEn. lib. /. v. 608. 
Cinge tempora floribus 
Suave olentis amaraci.- Jidia etManlii E'bithal 
No* 34. 
5 
both 
