MENTHA 393 



Native. Paludal. Margins of rivers, canals, brooks, ditches, and 

 ponds, and in marshes, &c. Common and widely distributed. 

 P. July-October. 

 First record. M. sativa. Near Wargrave, Mr. J. C. Melvill in Britt. 

 Contr. 187 1. 



Under M. verticillafa are included a large number of forms. Syme 

 described three varieties under M. sativa, as var. rivalis, var. paludosa, 

 and var. suhglabra, Baker. 



Var. RivAxis (Sole, Menthae Brit. 45, t. 20 (1798), as a species). 



This variety, as defined by Syme and figured in Sole, is found fre- 

 quently in all our districts, and by the Thames is probably the 

 commonest form. 



Var. PALUDOSA (Sole, Menthae Brit. 49 (1798), as a species). 



This form is rather more frequent than the former in the heathy 

 districts, but there are many modifications of it. Some of the forms 

 to be seen in the Wokingham district are worth further study. In 

 1894 I sent a large series of them to M. Buser of Geneva for 

 M. Briquet's opinion, but I have been unable to elicit any reply to my 

 communications from either botanist. 



1. Isis. Wytham. South Hinksey. 2. Ock. South Hinksey. 



Appleford, in the ponds near the railway. Marcham. 3. Pang. 

 Streatley. Basildon. 4. Kennet. Hungerford. Aldermaston. 

 Inkpen. Kintbury. 5. Loddon. Barkham. Wokingham. 



Long Moor. Bearwood. Hurst. Windsor Park. Bracknell. 

 Sandhurst. 



Var. suBGLABRA = M. sativa, var. subglabra, Baker, Journ. Bot. (1865) 

 248. This is a scarcer form which I have seen by the Upper Thames 

 near Bablock Hythe and near Ferry Hinksey. 



In addition to the foregoing, there are among the varieties I put 

 under M. verticillata the following, which have been determined for me 

 by the Abbe Strail : — 



Var. CRENATA (Becker, Fl. Fr. i. 225, as a species), which I have 

 from near Abingdon and Godstow. It is put under M. arvensis in 

 Index Keivensis. 



Var. ARGUTA (Opiz, Natural, viii. (1824) 69, as a species), a pretty 

 form from Aldermaston and Wokingham. Also given under 

 M. arvensis in Index Kewensis. 



Var. BENESCHiNA (Opiz, ex Desegl. in Bull. Soc. Sc. Angers (1882) 

 206, as a species), near Caversham and from Wytham. Treated as a 

 distinct species in Index Kewensis. 



M. verticillata occurs in all the bordering counties. 



M. rubra, Sm. in Linn. Soc. Trans, v. (1800) 205, not of Huds. (which 

 is M. gentiHs) nor of Miller. M. sativa, Sole, not of Linn. 

 Syme, E. B. vii. 16, t. 1033. Nyman, 597. Fl. Oxf. 240. 



