MONARDA DIDYMA. 

 OSWEGO TEA. 



NATURAL ORDER, LABIAT/E. 



MoNARDA DIDYMA, Linnseus. — Somewhat hairy, two feet high ; leaves petioied, pointed ; the 

 floral t)nes and the large outer bracts tinged with red ; calyx smooth, incurved, nearly 

 naked in the throat ; corolla smooth, two inches long, bright red, showy. (Gray's Man- 

 tial of the Botany of the Northern United States. See also Chapman's Flora of the South- 

 ern United States, and Wood's Class-Book of Botany^ 



HE genus Monarda is especially well qualified to be called 

 a representative of the Hora of the United States, as 

 most of the species belonging to it are found here, while the very 

 few other species which are known besides grow in Mexico. 

 With the exception of the genus Blcpkilia, Monarda has no very 

 close allies, the nearest perhaps, after B/epki/ia, being the Rose- 

 mary of Europe; but even this is so different in general appear- 

 ance that, aside from acute structural botanists, few persons 

 would suspect the affinity. Its nearest relatives in the flora of 

 our country (always after BlepJiilia) are the Sages and Cat- 

 mints; these, however, are also quite \x\-\\\V^ Monarda, so that 

 even beginners in botany will not be very apt to confound them. 

 In general habit Monarda might perhaps be mistaken for 

 Pycnanthcmnm, or Mountain-Mint, a genus of the same natural 

 order; but a very litde knowledge of the difference in the struc- 

 ture of the two o^enera will suffice to o^uard the student against 

 this error. To the casual observer the flowers of our genus will 

 bear a very strong resemblance to those of some of the scarlet- 

 flowered Sages. In the Salvia, or Sage, however, the stigma is 

 cleft into two unequal and prominent segments, while in Mo- 



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