Most a LABI AT AE Mentha 



to 1.2 m.; fls. pink or red, VIII-IX. Eastern Asia; locally in An., Che., Hup., Ki., 

 Ku. Moist roadside. 



16. Satureja Linn. Calamint l^it^M (Feng Lun Ts'ai Shu.) 

 Herbs (ours) or shrubs with purple or white fls. in terminal or axillary clusters; 

 calyx 10-nerved, 2-lipped; corolla somewhat 2-lipped; stamens 4, the upper sometimes 

 sterile; style 2-cleft at the top: nutlets rounded at the top. About 130 species, in north 

 temperate countries; 5 in China. (The old Latin name.) 



Key to the Species 



a. Bracts of the infl. numerous, conspicuous, as long as the pedicels or 

 longer; fls. many: robust herbs. 

 Heads of the infl. few, large, 1.2-2. 2cm. in diam.: lvs. 2-4 cm. 

 long: fig. bracts considerably longer than the pedicels. 

 Fig. bracts extending to from one-half to nearly as long as the 



calyx : lvs. up to 4 cm. long 1. S. chinensis 



Fig. bracts extending only to the lower half of the calyx: lvs. 2-3 



cm. long 2. S. umbrosa 



Heads of the infl. numerous, small, 1.3-1.7 cm. in diam.: lvs. 1.3-2 



cm. long: fig. bracts extending to the lower half of the calyx.. 3. S. polycephala 

 aa. Bracts of the infl. few, inconspicuous, shorter than the pedicels; fls. 



few : slender herbs 4 . S. gracilis 



1. Satureja chinensis (Benth.) Briq. {Calamintha chinensis Benth.) ®,$mH (Feng Lun 

 Ts'ai; Wind-vane Herb) (Sun 41). Aromatic perennial, to 0.7 m.; fls. pink or 

 purplish red, VI-VIII. Eastern Asia; locally in An., Che., Hon., Hun., Hup., Ki., 

 Ku. Woodland. 



2. Satureja umbrosa (Bieb.) Scheele ex Briqu. {Calamintha umbrosa (Bieb.) Benth.) 

 (H.F.4:650). Coarse decumbent herb; fls. pink or purple, VI-VIII. Eastern Asia; 

 locally in Che., Hun., Hup., Ki., Ku. Grassland. 



3. Satureja polycephala (Vaniot) Steward {Calamintha polycephala Vaniot) (Bu.G.B. 

 14:183). Erect herb, to 0.8m.; fls. VIII. China; locally in An. Brushland. 



4. Satureja gracilis (Benth.) Briq. {Calamintha confinis Hance) (Sun 42; Ed. N. 6: 158). 

 Erect annual, to 3 dm.; fls. few, pink or purplish red, V-IX. Eastern Asia; locally 

 in An., Che., Hun., Hup., Ki., Ku. Moist shade. 



17. Mentha Linn. Mint ff fsjM (Po Ho Shu) 

 Aromatic perennial herbs with creeping rootstocks, simple mostly punctate lvs. 

 and small purple pink or white fls. ; the dense whorls in axillary or often interrupted 

 terminal spikes; calyx 10-nerved, about equally 5-toothed; corolla nearly regular, 4- 

 lobed, the upper lobe slightly notched; stamens 4, erect, equal; anthers 2-celled, the 

 sacs parallel; style shortly cleft: nutlets ovoid. About 30 species, in north temperate 

 regions; 2 or more in China. (From the Greek name of the nymph Minthe, used for 

 the plant by Theophrastus.) 



Key to the Species 



Whorls of fls. axillary, separated, subtended by normal lvs.; lvs. 



pubescent 1 . M. a rvevsis 



Whorls of fls. terminal, crowded into a cylindric " spike ", subtended by- 

 reduced lvs.; lv. glabrous 2. M. spicata 



1. Mentha arvensis Linn. Field Mint Wffi (Po Ho) (B.M.863). Aromatic perennial, 



340 



