140 



LABIATAE. 



VOL. III. 



3 o. HYSSOPUS [Tourn.] L. Sp. PI. 569. 1753. 



A perennial erect herb, the stem somewhat woody at the base, with narrow, entire leaves, 

 and small bracted purple or blue flowers, in dense clusters in the upper axils, and forming 

 elongated terminal more or less interrupted spikes. Calyx tubular, i5-nerved, about equally 

 5-toothed, not hairy in the throat. Corolla-limb 2-lipped, the upper lip erect, emarginate, 

 the lower spreading, 3-cleft, the middle lobe 2-lobed. Stamens 4, didynamous, the 2 longer 

 ones exserted, divergent; anthers 2-celled, the sacs divaricate. Ovary deeply 4-parted; style 

 2-cleft at the summit. Nutlets ovoid, somewhat 3-sided, nearly smooth. [Greek, an aromatic 

 herb.] 



A monotypic genus of Europe and Asia. 



i. Hyssopus officinalis L. 



- 3657- 



Hyssop. 



Hyssopus officinalis L. Sp. PI. 569. 1753. 



Stems usually several together from the woody 

 base, slender, strict, puberulent, simple or branch- 

 ed, i-3 high, the branches upright or ascend- 

 ing. Leaves linear to oblong, sessile or very 

 nearly so, firm, acute at both ends or the lower 

 obtuse at the apex, puberulent or glabrate, faintly 

 veined, ii'-2 r long, i"-3" wide, sometimes with 

 smaller ones or short leafy branches in their 

 axils ; spike sometimes i-sided, dense, \'-\' broad ; 

 pedicels short, puberulent; outer bracts as long 

 as the calyx; calyx-teeth lanceolate, acute, one- 

 fourth to one-third as long as the tube; corolla 

 4"-5" long, its tube exceeding the calyx. 



Along roadsides and in waste places, Ontario and 

 Maine to North Carolina, and on the Pacific Coast. 

 Naturalized from Europe. June-Sept. 



31. ORIGANUM [Tourn.] L. Sp. PI. 588. 1753. 



Perennial branching herbs, some species shrubby, with rather small crenate-dentate or 

 entire leaves, and small bracted pink or purple flowers, in dense terminal glomerules. Calyx 

 ovoid or campanulate, villous in the throat, about i3-nerved, 5-toothed or more or less 

 2-lipped. Corolla-limb 2-lipped, the upper lip erect, emarginate or 2-lobed, the lower longer, 

 spreading, 3-cleft. Stamens 4, didynamous, ascending; anthers 2-celled, the sacs divergent. 

 Style 2-cleft at the summit; ovary deeply 4-parted. Nutlets ovoid or oblong, smooth. 

 [Greek, mountain- joy.] 



About 30 species, natives of the Old World, the following typical. 



i. Origanum vulgare L. Wild Marjoram. 

 Winter Sweet. Organy. Fig. 3658. 



Origanum vulgare L. Sp. PI. 590. 1753. 



Perennial from nearly horizontal rootstocks, villous 

 or hirsute; stem erect, slender, \-2\ high. Leaves 

 ovate, petioled, obtuse or subacute at the apex, rounded 

 or subcordate at the base, crenate or entire, i'-ii' long, 

 often with smaller ones, or short leafy branches, in 

 their axils; flower-clusters often 2' broad; bracts pur- 

 plish, ovate or oval, about equalling the nearly regularly 

 5-toothed calyx ; corolla pink, purple or nearly white, 

 longer than the calyx, the upper lobe broad; all four 

 stamens, or the two longer, exserted. 



In fields and waste places, Ontario to New Jersey and 

 Pennsylvania. Naturalized from Europe. Native also of 

 Asia. Called also organs, pot-marjoram. July-Sept. 



