150 THE AMERICAN RO'l'ANlST 



plant is also called "catnip" but it is better known as "giant 

 hyssop". j I 



The peculiarly appropiate name of "obedient plant" is 

 applied to Physostegia Virginiana, a tall plant with showy 

 magenta flowers borne in terminal spikes. The individual 

 flower-stalks are so constructed that when a blossom is push- 

 ed to the right or left it will retain the position until pushed 

 in another direction thus accounting for the name. "Ameri- 

 can heather" is an attractive book name that might well have 

 a wider circulation. The clustered flowers are not so very 

 unlike those of the true heather {Erica). "False dragon- 

 head" and "lion's heart" given this plant are general names 

 that more properly belong to the species of Dracocephalum 

 among which our species is sometimes included. Dracoce- 

 phalum parviflorum is the plant most commonly regarded as 

 the true "dragon-head" or "lion heart". Both names appear 

 to be mere fanciful appellations, though "dragon head" is a 

 literal translation of the generic name which was given for 

 some supposed resemblance of the flowers to a dragon. 



The name of "lion's tail" belongs to another mint, Leon- 

 iirus cardiaca which is more commonly known as "mother- 

 wort" from its reputed value in cough mixtures. It is also 

 known as "lion's ears" but those who call it so have directed 

 attention to the wrong end of the animal. The generic name 

 is surely translated "lion's tail". The specific name, cardiaca, 

 however, has reference to the heart and we might hastily con- 

 clude this to be the true lion's heart, if it were not practically 

 certain that the specific name is connected with the plant's re- 

 puted power as a heart tonic. "Cowthwort" is a meaningless 

 old English name. Leonurus marrubiastnim is the "hore- 

 hound motherwort", but the true "horehound", which this 

 resembles, is Marrubium vulgare. The latter plant is also 



