BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA, 209 
are smooth, but show quite a number of dots or 
spots (punctuated) in the intercellular space; 
the leaf is rather larger than most of the mint 
family properly speaking, and in coloring rather 
inclining to a brown and green mixed; flowers 
in whorls, and of a yellow color, often spotted 
with red or brown, with colored bracts; the co- 
rolla has two stamens and one pistil, calyx tub- 
ular and five-toothed. Horsemint contains tan- 
min, extractive matter anda volatile oil, from 
which thymol can be obtained, and has been 
much used as a carminative, nervine and em- 
menagogue, given in form of an infusion,in about 
the same doses as those already mentioned. 
The odor is less pleasant than many of the other 
mints, and rather more penetrating and pungent 
to the taste; rarely found in the stores, except 
in the form of an oil. Horsemint was once in 
the primary list of medicines. The name is de- 
rived from the Spanish botanist Nicholas Mo- 
nardez. 
Nepeta, Catnep, Nepeta Cataria.—Natural 
order Labiate. Native of Asia and Europe, 
and naturalized and cultivated in the United 
States. This small plant, with its creeping 
perennial root, sends up a stem 1 or 2 feet in 
height, adorned with grayish-green leaves about 
1 inch long, which are opposite in their arrange- 
ment, pubescent and cordate in shape, with the 
margins dentated. Flowers purple in color, 
and in terminal clusters or spikes; stamens four 
in number and arising above the upper lip of the 
corolla, two of which are longer than the others. 
Catnip contains ¢annin, extractive matter and 
asmail quantity of volatile oil; odor not peculiar, 
