268 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, 



80. CAT5n\T or Catnip — Nepeta cataria. A partially naturalized 

 plant from Europe, much branched, and clothed with a whitish 

 down. The flowers are nearly white and dotted with purple ; they 

 are arranged in spiked clusters, around the stalks at certain dis- 

 tances. From the fact that cats are exceedingly fond of rolling on 

 this plant, and chew it with seeming avidity, it has received the 

 name Ca^-mint or nip. It is considered a somewhat troublesome 

 weed, and is found common about farm buildings, especially in old 

 settlements. Another species {Nepeta Glechoma), commonly called 

 Ground Ivy or Gill-over-the-ground, has procumbent stems, and 

 kidney-shaped leaves. The flowers are light blue or bluish purple, 

 generally three together in the axils of the leaves. The ground 

 ivy makes a very pretty hanging plant. It is quite common in 

 damp waste grounds near dwellings. 



81. Common Self-heal or Heal-all— ^Bn^ref/Za vulgaris. Perennial. Stem six inches 

 to two foet high. Leaves one to three inches long. Flowers violet purple (rarely white), 

 arranged in a short dense spike, at the top of the stem. 



A native plant, which can hardly be ranked with the troublesome 

 weeds, yet from its abundance in fields and pastures we thought 

 best to call attention to it. In ancient times it had the reputation 

 of healing wounds, whence its common name. 



82. Ukmp-Nettle — Galeopsis tetrahit. Annual. Stem one to three feet high, much 

 swollen just below the joints, bristly-hairy. Leaves ovate, hairy on both sides. Flowers 

 purple or variegated, in dense whorls in the axils of the floral leaves. 



A very common and troublesome weed in waste and cultivated 

 grounds. The teeth of the calyx are tipped stifl" and sharp 

 spines, which make the plant a very disagreeable thing to handle, 

 particularly after it has become dry, for these spines are numerous 

 and almost as bad as those of the Canada Thistle. It is best 

 destroyed by allowing none to go to seed. 



83. MoTDEUWORT — Leonurus Cardiaca. Perennial. Stem three to five feet high, square 

 with concave sides, much branched. Leaves palmatc-lobed ; upper leaves narrow and 

 three-cleft. Flowers hairy, purplish, in close whorls in the axils of the leaves. 



"A native of Tartary, whence it was first introduced into Europe 

 and thence to America, ever following the footsteps of civilized 

 man." — (Wood.) It abounds in cultivated grounds and waste 

 places, The calyx teeth, like those of the Hemp Nettle, are tipped 

 wifli sharp spines. " It is an utterly worthless weed — unsightly 

 and disagreeable — and speedily gives a forlorn appearance to the 

 premises of the slothful and slovenly farmer." — {^Darlington.) 

 The Motherwort is well known in domestic medicine. 



