LABIATE. 175 



ing at the lungs, or spitting blood, but it seems to have greatly 

 diminished. As the plants have no very strong properties, their 

 influence was doubtless overestimated. Besides, the decoction 

 of the plant might relieve and paUiate the symptoms, and yet have 

 little influence in removing the cause of the disease. Perhaps, 

 too, the application of the plant was in cases not truly coming 

 under those affections of the lungs, which are so rarely arrested 

 in their progress to a fatal termination. 



MONARDA. L. 2. 1. 



Named in honor of N. Monardez, a physician. It includes 

 several beautiful species, and is a North American genus of a 

 dozen species, which have been cultivated in England ; 4 species 

 belong to this State, and are more common in the western part of 

 it. They grow in light soils, some about woods or hedges, not 

 very abundant. 



M. oblongata. Ait. Found about Boston also ; grows about 

 2 feet high, bearing whorls of bluish flowers ; in gardens. 



M. didyma. L. The cultivated species, with large whorls of 

 deep-red or scarlet flowers, and commonly called balm or bee-balm, 

 which is a different plant of this order. In general appearance 

 and odor, the two, however, are much alike. 



M. clinopodia. L. Is 3 feet high, with pale purple flowers ; 

 often cultivated. 



M. hirsuta. Ph. A hairy plant, stem 2 or 3 feet high ; 4 or 

 5 whorls of flowers on the upper part of the branches ; small 

 pale-blue flowers. 



Hedeoma. Pers. 2. 1. 



From the Greek for mint ; an American genus except one 

 species ; small plants. 



H. pulegioides. Pers. Pennyroyal. A humble, strong- 

 scented plant, in fields and on dry hillsides ; its decoction had 



