422. XCII. LABIATA. ~ ‘Metissa. 
terminal.—2| Grows on rocks and in dry woods, N. Y. to Ga. and Ark. Stem 
4-angled, mostly purple, branching, smoothish, 1—2f high. Leaves small, 
nearly smooth, roundish or subcordate at base, tapering to a point and punctate 
with pellucid dots. Flowers with subulate bracts at the base of the 3-forked 
pedicels. Calyx punctate. Corolla nearly twice as long as the calyx, pubes- 
cent, pale red. Stamens and style much exserted, of the same hue as the corolla. 
The herb is delightfully fragrant, and used in febrifugal infusions. Jl. Aug. 
Trize 5. MELISSINEZ.—Calyx bilabiate; corolla bilabiate; upper lip 
straight, lower lip spreading, cleft into 3 flat lobes, of which the middle one is 
often broadest. Stamens 4, sometimes 2, ascending. 
18. HEDEOMA. Pers. 
Gr. ijdeva, sweet or agreeable, ocun, smell; on account of the fragrance. 
Calyx gibbous beneath at base, 13-ribbed, throat hairy ; upper lip 
of corolla erect, flat, lower lip spreading, 3-lobed; stamens 2, fertile, 
ascending. 
H. puieaidipes. Pers. (Cunila. Linn. Ziziphora. R. g S.) Pennyroyal. 
Iws. oblong, few-toothed; fls. axillary, whorled.—@ A small, strong-scented 
herb, held in high repute in the domestic materia medica. Stem erect, branch- 
ing, half a foot high. Leaves opposite,with 1—2 teeth each side, on very short 
etioles, smooth on the upper surface, roughish beneath. Calyx ciliate, 2 lower 
ivisions spined. Abundant in dry pastures, N. Eng., Can. to Ga. and Ark. 
Flowering all summer. 
19. MICROMERIA. Benth. 
Gr. x9, small, p90, division; on account of the slightly 2-lipped calyx and corolla. 
Calyx 13 (rarely 15)-ribbed, 5-toothed, nearly equal; corolla sub- 
bilate, tube exserted, upper lip bifidly emarginate, lower subequally 
3-lobed ; stamens ascending, the upper pair shorter. 
M. GuaBetiA. Benth. (Cunila. Michx. Hedeoma glabra. Nutt.) 
Glabrous ; s¢. branching above, and mostly surculose at base; Jws. entire, 
those of the suckers elliptic-ovate, of the stem linear-oblong, obtuse ; verticillas- 
ters about 6-flowered.—2 A delicate little herb nearly or quite smooth, growing 
on lime-stone rocks near the base of Niagara Falls! W. to the Falls of St. An- 
thony. Rare. It has the general aspect and fragrance of pennyroyal. Stem 
erect (prostrate at base), 4-angled, slender, 6—10/ high. Suckers at the base 
often numerous and several inches in length, with leaves about 3” by 2”, brown- 
ish-purple beneath. Stem leaves 9—12’long, very narrow, the lowest some- 
times with a few teeth. Flowers somewhat regular, on pedicels }/ long, with 
linear bracts at the base. Corolla pale purple. Stamens 4, the upper pair 
much the shortest, all antheriferous. July, Aug. 
20. MELISSA. Benth. 
Gr. name of the bee, from pe, honey, which is sought in these flowers by bees with avidity. 
Calyx 13-ribbed, flattish above, the upper lip 3-toothed, lower bifid ; 
upper lip of the corolla erect, flattish, lower lip spreading, 3-lobed, 
the middle lobe mostly broadest ; stamens ascending. 
1. M. orricinaiis. Balm. 
Pubescent ; st. erect, branching; fls. in dimidiate verticils, subsessile ; Jus. 
ovate, acute, coarsely crenate-serrate, rugose ; bracts few; ovate-lanceolate, pe- 
tiolate—2 N. Eng.! to la.! found in the deepest forests! A well known gar- 
den plant. Stem 1—2f high. Flowers white or yellowish. The plant is a 
stomachic and diuretic, generally administered in the form of tea. For medi- 
cinal use it should be cut before flowering, which occurs in June and after. ¢§ ? 
2. M. Crinopopium. Benth. (Clinopodium vulgare. Linn.) Wild Basil. 
Villose; lvs. ovate, subserrate ; verticils many-flowered, hairy; bracts nu- 
merous, subulate.—2| Low woods, Northern and Western States. A common 
plant, 1—2f high. Stem square, simple or sparingly branched, and, as well 
