666 



LABIATE. 



R. Br. prod. p. 499. Mirb. ann. mus. 15. p. 213. Bartl. 

 ord. nat. 180. Benth. lab. p. xiii. 



Calyx tubular, regular, 5-cleft, or 5-10-toothed, or bilabiate ; 

 lips entire, or divided. Corolla tubular, irregular, bilabiate ; su- 

 perior lip undivided or bifid, lying over eacb other in aestivation : 

 lower lip tritid. Stamens 4, didynamous, 2 of which are some- 

 times sterile ; filaments inserted under the sinuses of the lower lip 

 and interlabiate ; anthers 2-lobed : lobes usually divaricate ; but 

 sometimes dimidiate, and therefore somewhat 1 -celled, with an 

 obsolete division and a continuous suture. Ovaria 4, 1 -seed- 

 ed, connected with the base of the style, seated on a glandular 

 disk, and girded at bottom; ovula erect. Style 1. Stigma bifid, 

 usually acute, sometimes unequal, or dilated. Achenia 4, hidden 

 by the permanent calyx, some of them generally abortive. Albu- 

 men wanting, or very sparing. Embryo erect. Cotyledons flat. 

 Herbs, rarely shrubs. Stems and branches tetragonal. Leaves 

 opposite, exstipulate, simple, undivided, or lobed ; petioles or 

 bases of the leaves not articulated with the branch. Flowers 

 opposite, verticillate, capitate, spicate, racemose, or solitary, 

 axillary or terminal, bracteate or naked. 



The order Labiatce is one of the most natural and distinctly 

 marked of all. The opposite leaves, monopetalous corolla, 2 or 

 4 stamens, and the free 4-lobed ovarium, are characters so easily 

 observed, and so constantly accompanying the general habit of 

 the whole series, that from the time of Linnaeus to the present 

 day but two or three genera have been improperly associated 

 with, or separated from it. Its immediate affinities are few. 

 The same 4-lobed ovarium is only found in Borraginecc, but 

 here the fifth stamen is always present and fertile, and the 

 corolla is usually regular, with gyrate inflorescence. Scrophula- 

 rinece, and other allied tribes are at once separated by the cap- 

 sular fruit. In Verbenacece alone, having frequently the same 

 inflorescence and many of the characters of Labiatce, approach 

 near enough to occasion any hesitation in drawing the line of 

 separation. The ovarium is slightly lobed in Verbena and 

 other neighbouring genera, and in Cymaria and some Teucria it 

 is less lobed than in other Labiatce, but yet the distance is con- 

 siderable in this respect between the former and the two latter 

 genera, ex Bent ham. 



The species are to be found in more or less abundance over 

 the surface of the globe, but the greater mass within the tropics. 

 Many are extremely odoriferous ; some bear handsome flowers, 

 others are mere weeds. They are remarkable for their tonic, 

 cordial, stomachic virtues ; they contain both a bitter and an 

 aromatic principle in different proportions. The bitterness 

 which is given out in decoctions resides in a gum resinous 

 secretion abounding in some Teucria, which are particularly 

 employed as stomachics, and sometimes as febrifuges ; those 

 which abound in essential oil, and are consequently aromatic, 

 are used as stimulants. From the different degree of combi- 

 nation of these principles in different plants, they have obtained 

 various uses, such as savory, thyme, marjoram for the seasoning 

 of food ; sage, balm, ground ivy for tea ; cat thyme, marjoram, 

 lavender, and thyme for sternutories ; others, such as lavender, 



mint, balm, and rosemary, for perfume. The essential oil of all 

 contain camphor, which is said to exist in such quantity in 

 sage and lavender, that it has been supposed that the separating 

 of it might become an object of commerce. 



In the arrangement of this truly natural family, I have fol- 

 lowed Mr. Bentham, whose elaborate work, entitled " Labiata- 

 rum Genera et Species," is a model for future monographers. 



Synopsis of the genera. 

 TRIBE I. 



OcYMOiDEjE. Stamens declinate. Corolla sub-bilabiate ; the 

 superior 4 lobes flat, and nearly equal, or the two uppermost ones 

 are joined: the lower segment is declinate, usually of a differ- 

 ent form from the others, sometimes flat, but usually concave, 

 boat-shaped, or saccate. Old anthers usually saucer-shaped. 



1. Segments of corolla almost of equal length : lower one 

 the narrowest, declinate, andjlattish. Tropical plants. 



1 O'CYMUM. Fructiferous calyx deflexed ; the uppermost 

 tooth ovate, large, usually decurrent. Whorls 6-flowered, 

 rarely with so many as 10 flowers. 



2 GENIOSFORUM. Fructiferous calyx almost erect, or de- 

 clinate, usually transversely wrinkled at base ; teeth irregular : 

 upper one not decurrent. Filaments naked. Lobes of style 

 subulate. Whorls many-flowered. 



3 MESONA. Upper lip of corolla divided ; lower one small, 

 and inflexed. Shorter stamens appendiculate at the base. 



4 ACROCE'PHALUS. Calyx erectish, having the 4 lower teeth 

 combined into an entire or 4-toothed lip. Whorls of flowers 

 capitate. 



5 MOSCHOSMA. Fruit-bearing calyx declinate ; upper tooth 

 ovate, not decurrent. Tube of corolla inclosed. Lobes of 

 style very short. Whorls few-flowered, secund, usually dis- 

 posed in axillary racemules. 



6 ORTIIOSI % FHON. Fructiferous calyx deflexed ; superior 

 tooth ovate. Tube of corolla straight, exserted. Style headed 

 by the stigma. Habit of Cfcymum. 



2. Loner segment of corolla elongated, concave. Tropical 



plants. 



7 HOSLU'NDIA. Superior stamens abortive. Fructiferous 

 calyx baccate. 



8 PLECTRA'NTHUS. Fructiferous calyx 5-tootheil, not spiny, 

 with an open mouth. Filaments free. 



9 COLEUS. Fructiferous calyx toothed, not spiny, with an 

 open mouth. Filaments monadelphous. 



10 ANISOCHI'LUS. Fructiferous calyx closed. Whorles of 

 flowers spicate. 



11 CEOLLA'NTHUS. Calyx truncate, circumcised at the base 

 in the fructiferous state. 



