212 LABIATE. [Mentha. 



Hedges and waste places, frequent. Fl. April, May. %. — Plant 

 much creeping-. Leaves stalked, downy. Flowers large, blue, in 

 threes, axillary. 



7. Mentha. Linn. Mint. 



Calyx equal, 5-toothed, its mouth naked or rarely villous. 

 Corolla nearly regular, 4-fid, its tube very short. Stamens 

 distant, exserted or included. Filaments naked. Anthers 

 with two parallel cells. Benlh. — Name ; fav9a or /mvOj}, an 

 ancient Greek name. Didynamia. Gymnospermia. 



1. M. sylvestris, Linn. Horse-Mint. Leaves ovato-oblong, 

 very acute, unequally serrated, downy, hoary beneath ; spikes 

 almost cylindrical, scarcely interrupted; bracteas subulate ; 

 calyx very hairy. Br. Fl. 1. p. 269. E. Ft v. iii. p. 73. E. 

 Bot. t. 686. 



Moist waste ground. In ditches by the way-side near Rosstrevor. 

 Near Cafrigaline, County of Cork ; Mr. J. Drummond. Fl. Aug. 

 Sept. %. — Plant about three feet high, branched, of a hoary colour. 

 Leaves generally sessile, spreading, variously shaped, approaching to 

 ovate. Spikes somewhat panicled. Flowers whorled, pale-purple. 



2. M. rotundifolia, Linn. Hound- leaved Mint. Leaves el- 

 liptical, obtuse, sharply serrated, wrinkled, downy, shaggy be- 

 neath ; spikes interrupted ; bracteas lanceolate ; calyx some- 

 what hairy. Br. Fl. 1. p. 269. E. Fl. v. iii. p. 74. E. Bot. t. 

 446. 



Waste places, scarcely wild. Oa a dry bank at Carlisle Fort near 

 Cove. Fl. Aug. Sept. 2{ . — Whole plant viscid, and has a peculiarly 

 acrid smell which many people think highly grateful, hence it is often 

 cultivated in gardens. 



3. M. viridis, Linn. Spear-Mint. Leaves lanceolate, 

 acute, glabrous, serrated, sessile ; spikes interrupted ; bracteas 

 setaceous, somewhat hairy, as well as the calyx; pedicels gla- 

 brous. Br. Fl. 1. p. 269. E. Fl. v. iii. p. 75. E. Bot. t. 

 2424. 



Marshy places. Said to have been found near Belfast, but I have 

 not seen wild specimens. Fl. Aug. %. — Cultivated for culinary pur- 

 poses, and frequently forced in spring for an ingredient in Lamb-sauce. 



4. M. piperita, Sin. Pepper-Mint. Leaves ovato-lanceo- 

 late, strongly serrated, acute, slightly hair} 7 , stalked ; spikes 

 interrupted ; bracteas lanceolate ; calyx glandular, quite gla- 

 brous at the base. Br. Fl. 1. p. 296. E. Fl. v. iii. p. 76. E. 

 Bot. t. 687. 



Marshy places. At Farnham near the upper end of the lake. By 

 the side of a mountain stream called the Cuily-Burn, near Newtown- 

 limavady ; Mr. D. Moore. Banks of the Lee, near Carrigrohan Cas- 

 tle ; Mr. J. Drummond. Fl. Aug. Sept. %. — Much cultivated .on 

 account of its essential oil, which resides in minute glands conspicuous 

 on the leaves, and especially on the calyx. 



