PLANT NAMES AND THEIR MEANINGS— XII 



LABIATAE 



By Willard N. Clutk 



rr\ HFv species included in the Labiatae are very distinct in ap- 

 -■■ pearance. The scpiare stems, aromatic fohage, and flowers 

 in clusters in the axils of the leaves or in a spike at the sum- 

 mit of the stem set them off from other plants and make them 

 easily recognized. The group was naturally among the first 

 to be distinguished when the relationships of plants began to 

 recei\c notice. The flowers, which usually face side- 

 wise, arc two-lipj)ed . or "labiate" and from this cir- 

 cumstance the family name is derived. It is to be observed, 

 however that the designation Tvabiatae is not founded on the 

 name of a genus and according to some botanists should give 

 way to one that is, for instance, Lamiaceae. This latter name 

 ha>> as yet found little favor. The family is occasionally 

 know as the Menthaceae a title which should prevail if fit- 

 ness be considered for Mentha is the name of the mint genus 

 and mint is the commonly accepted name for the whole group. 



'I'he Labiatae abound in >ho\vy flowers and in keeping 

 with this fact several genera have names which refer to the 

 blossoms. At the beginning we may introduce Isanthiis 

 which is formed from the Greek isos, equal, and anthos, a 

 flower, because the flowers are nearly regular instead of two- 

 lipped as is usual in this group. Ajuya, from a, without, and 

 jiigiini, a yoke, refers to the fact that tlie flowers of 

 this genus appear to lack an u])per lip to the corolla, Lophan- 



