MINT. 219 



hugs the soil and throws out roots at every joint, so that little 

 plants can be continually cut off. 



A very sweet odour and taste of peppermint is developed in 

 Zizi2:)liora tenuior, Lin., which see. 



The " Small Peppermint Thyme " is Thymus jnjiei^ella, Lin., 

 which see. It is verv nearly allied to the following- : — 



Micromeria Piperella, Benth. Lab., p. 379, or "Small pepper- 

 mint Micromeria." Micromeria is a genus of Lahiatce numbering; 

 about sixty species, which are spread over nearly all the temperate 

 and warmer parts of the globe, but occur in greatest abundance in 

 the Mediterranean region. They are erect or prostrate branching 

 perennial herbs, with opposite leaves and axillary whorls of small 

 purple or white 2-lipped flowers, or the flowers are gathered in 

 spikes at the ends of the twigs. Some of the species have an 

 odour like common thyme, others smell like some kinds of mint. 

 They are chiefly recognised by the tubular 13 to 15-ribbed and 5- 

 toothed calyx, which is not distinctly 2-lipped as in thymus. 

 M. pipei^ella is suffruticose, with ascending pubescent branches ; 

 leaves sessile, broad-ovate, obtuse, rounded or sub-cordate at the 

 base, glabrous on both surfaces ; upper leaves oblong, small ; 

 fascicles of flowers loose, pedunculate, secund, few-flowered; 

 bractes small, oblong ; calyces nearly sessile, pubescent, with 

 subulate teeth, the 3 superior teeth spreading ; throat naked inside. 

 Native of the south of Europe, as of Piedmont and Croatia. Syn. 

 Thymus pijjerella, Allioni Flora Pedemontana, i., p. 21, t. 37, f. 3 

 (bad figure) ; Waldstein et Kitaibel, Descriptiones et Icones 

 plantarum rariorum Hungarian, ii., p. 169, t. 156 ; Thymus 

 Croaticus, Persoon, Synopsis plantarum, ii., p. 130 ; Calamintha 

 Croatica, Host, Flora Austriaca, ii., p. 132. 



The odour of peppermint has been observed in the fraction of 

 oil of Barosma hetulina, boiling between 205*^ and 210^ C. (see 

 Buchu). 



Mentha vi rid is, Lin., "Spear-mint "or "Garden Mint." This is 

 the plant which is used for culinary purposes under the name of 

 " Mint " (Bentley & Trimen, Med. plant., t. 202 ; Sole, Menth. 

 Brit., t. 5 ; Sowerby, Eng. Bot., t. 2424. Figured as 31. verticillata 

 by Feuillee, Journal des observationes physiques, etc., pp. 42 t. 28. 

 It has an erect stem; leaves nearly sessile, ovate-lanceolate, 



