88 NEILGHERRY PLANTS. 
The order is made up of the plants commonly known under the names, Basel, Mint, 
Marjorum, Thyme, Lavender, Sage, Rosemary, Hyssop, Balm, and many others, some 
or all of which must be familiar to nearly all readers. Its species are distributed all over 
the world, from Melville Island to Terra del Fuego, but most abound in temperate regions, 
which tends to account for their frequency on these mountains, and generally on elevated 
alpine regions throughout India. Of about 200 species named in Wallich’s list of Indian 
plants a large proportion were obtained from the Himalayas and Northern Provinces. A 
few only are natives of the plains of India but some of these are certainly endowed with 
the property of enduring a high temperature. 
Being thus alpine in its habits, I have devoted a larger number of plates to the illus- 
tration of this family than to any of its neighbours, though they too are sufficiently 
interesting. 
Botanically considered, this, next to Compositew, is one of the most difficult families 
with which the Botanist has to grapple, for, being so exceedingly natural, every genus 
seems imperceptibly to pass into its next neighbour and even the species seem to be almost 
indefinable, forms of one passing into another by such insensible gradations that one is 
often disposed to reduce two or three into one, for want of sufficiently tangible distinc- 
tions by which to keep them distinct. For myself I often felt inclined to do so, on the 
supposition that some of them must have been taken up from solitary specimens of vary- 
ing forms, or from indifferent or bad specimens. Such a proceeding, however, ought 
always to be avoided, unless based on the clearest evidence, and supported by reference 
to, and comparison with, authentically-named specimens, which are seldom available in 
India, where there are no herbaria. 
This cautious course it is desirable to follow at all times, but especially while study- 
ing families so truly natural as the Labiate, and those who wish to form collections, 
either for their own use or for friends, should make a point of preserving a considerable 
number of specimens of each species, and, when possible, selected from several individuals 
of the species, as affording the probability of securing nearly all the varying forms it is 
likely to present. 
As regards the properties of this extensive order much might be said, as so many 
of them are highly aromatic and appropriated in so many ways to supply the wants, 
or provide luxuries for the benefit of mankind, but it is not my intention to expatiate 
largely on this branch of the subject, simply because, so few if any of the native species 
of the Neilgherry ones are so appropriated. As, however, many of the most useful are 
already or might easily be introduced, I cannot altogether pass the subject in silence, 
and shall therefore devote a few lines to its consideration. 
When the leaves, &c., of a labiate plant are closely looked at they will be found to 
contain numerous little reservoirs of oil which, when bruised, for the most part give out 
a fragrant aromatic smell, and communicate to the tongue a pungent sensation and 
aromatic flavour. It is in this oil that the properties of these plants principally reside. 
Hence their aromatic properties, and hence also, their being generally destitute of any 
deleterious qualities. Some, however, are said to combine tonic and astringent powers 
in addition, and as such have been beneficially prescribed in cases of indigestion and loose- 
ness consequent on imperfect assimilation of food, and also in cases of low fever, pro- 
ceeding from debility. But their principal medicinal use is as carminitives in flatulent 
colic, for which purposes various species of mint are greatly in repute. Peppermint is 
