6 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



It is highly probable that ]\I. alopeciiroides is merely a sub-species 

 of M. sylvestris, but we know too little about the Menthas to enable us 

 satisfactorily to distribute them into super-species and sub-species, and 

 are sadly in want of careful experiments on the extent of variation 

 which takes place in mints raised from seed, and also wliether hybrid- 

 ism takes place in this genus to any great extent, which is possible 

 enough, as the flowers of most of the species are dimorpliic, some 

 individuals having long and others short stamens. 



Broad-leaved TJorse Mint. 



SPECIES III.-ME NT HA SYLVESTRIS. Linn. 



Plate MXXII. 



BlUut, FI. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 60G. 



M. sylvestris, vara. 1, 2, and 3, Bal-er, Journ. Bot. 18G5, p. 236. 



Leaves subsessile, oblong- elliptical or -oval or -ovate, rounded or sub- 

 cordate at the base, acute or sub-acute, serrate or crenate-serrate, not 

 rugose, the ultimate anastomosing veins being only faintly impressed, 

 sparingly hairy above, more or less densely so and sometimes felted 

 beneath. Spikes conico-cylindrical, dense, rather slender. Bracts 

 linear-lanceolate; bracteoles linear-subulate, usually longer than the 

 flowers. Pedicels hairy. Calyx bristly-hairy, oblong-campanulate ; 

 teeth triangular-subulate, as long as the tube. Corolla nearly twice as 

 long as the calyx, hairy without, glabrous within. 



Var. a, genuina. 



M. sylvestris, var. a. Sm. Engl. Fl. Vol. III. p. 73. 

 M. villosa prima. Sole, Brit. Mints, p. 3, PL I. 



Leaves elliptical or oblong-elliptical, rounded at the base, acute, 

 serrate, snbglabrous or finely hairy above, or rather densely felted- 

 hairy and white beneath. Spikes slender. 



' Yar. 0, nemorosa. Benth. 



M. nemorosa, Willd. Sp. Plants, Vol. III. p. 75. 

 M. sylvestris, var. /3. Sm. Eng. Fl. Vol. III. p. 73. 

 M. villosa seciinda, Sole, Brit. Mints, p. 5, PI. II. 



Leaves oblong-ovate, rounded at the base, acute, coarsely serrate, 

 snbglabrous or sparingly hairy above, rather densely so, but not white 

 beneath. Spikes thicker than in var. a. 



Var. 7, molUssima. Benth. 

 "M. mollissima Borkli." Benth. in B.C. Prod. Vol. XII. p. 1G6. 



Leaves oblong-oval or -ovate, generally subcordate at the base, sub- 



