138 CUN1I.A. No. 29, 



is commonly called by this last name throughout the 

 United States ; but is very different from the Dit- 

 tany of the gardens, which is the Dictamnus 

 fi^axinellay and the other Dittanies of Europe, Ori- 



r 



ganxnn dictamnus^ Marmibium pscitdodictamnuSy 

 &c. Our Dittany is peculiar to Amcricaj and distin- 

 guished by its corymbose flowers^ which blossom in 

 summer from July to Septemlier. 



Locality — AH over the mountains and dry hills 

 from New England to Kentucky and Carolina, com- 

 mon among rocks and sides of hills^ unknown in the 

 plains and alluvions. 



Qualities — The whole plant has a warm fragrant 

 aromatic pungent taste and smell, residing in an es- 

 sential oil, which can easily be extracted by distilla- 

 tiottj and approximates to the oil of Origanii'm^ but 

 is more balsamic^ It is the most frggrant of all the 

 native labiate plants, and the essential oil has a very 

 strong !)alsamic fra^jrance.^ 



PROPERTIES— Stimulant, nervine, sudorific, 

 sublonic, vulnerary, cephalic, &:c. The whole plant 

 'is used, and usually taken in warm infusion : Dit- 

 tany tea is a popular remedy throughout tl;e Country 

 for colds, headaches, and whenever it is requisite to 

 excite a gentle perspiration. It partakes of the pro- 

 perties of all the grateful aromatic labiate jdants, and 

 also of Camomile, Snthemis Cotula^ and the Evpct- 

 torixim jierfoliatum ; while it affords a more palata- 

 ble drink. Its fragrant tea is preferable to that of 

 Sage and Monarda^ it has neither the pungency of 



Mint, nor the nauseous snieJl of Pennyroyal or 



