M O N 



M O N 



further culture of bLlns kept clem from weeds. 

 Wlien the soil is drv, they often continue three 

 or four years. 



All the sorts afford ornament, the first three 

 sorts in the stove, and the last in the open bor- 

 ders. The fniit of the last also affords a medi- 

 cinal substance by inspissalion. 



MONARDA, a g-enus containing plants of 

 the fibrous-roited lierbaceous flowery bien- 

 nial and perennial ki'nds. 



It belongs to the class and order Dlandrin 

 HJonogi/iiia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 fcrticillafcB. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 kafed tubular perianthium, cvUndric, striated, 

 with a five-toothed equal mouth, permanent : I he 

 corolla unequal : lube cvlindric, longer than the 

 calyx: border rinsenl : upper lip straight, nar- 

 row, linear, entire; lower lip reflex, broader, 

 trifidj middle segment longer, narrower, emar- 

 gmatf, ; lateral blunt : the stannna have two 

 bristle-shaped filaments, the length of the up- 

 per lip, in which thev are involved : anthers 

 compressed, truncate at top, convex below, 

 erect : the pistillum is a four-cleft germ : style 

 filiform, involved with the stamens : stigma bifid, 

 aeute : there is no pericarpium : calyx contain- 

 ing the seeds at the bottom : the seeds four, 

 roundish. 



The species cultivated are : 1 . M. Jistulosa, 

 Purple Monarda ; 2. .1/. oblongata. Long-leav- 

 ed Monaida; 3. M. didyma. Scarlet Monarda, 

 or Oswego Tea; 4. j\/. ntgosa, White Monarda; 

 5. M. punctata. Spotted Monarda. 



The first has a perennial root, composed of 

 many strong fibres, and spreading far on every 

 side : the stems, near three feet high, are hairy 

 and obtuse-antrled; thev send out two or four 

 small side branches towards the top : the leaves 

 oblong, broad at the base, but terminating in 

 acute points, hairv, a little indented on their 

 edges, on short hairv foot-stalks : the stem and 

 branches termmating bv heads of purple flowers, 

 which have a long uivolucre, composed of five 

 acute-pointed leaves, it is a native of Canada, 

 flowcruig from .June to August. 



The second species diflVrs from the first, in 

 having the leaves ovate at the base, and a little at- 

 tenuated, and more viljose underneath. It is a 

 native of iSI-orih America, flowering from July 

 to September. 



The third has a perennial root : the stems 

 aboui two feet high, smooth, acute-angled : the 

 leaves indented on the edges, ou very short foot- 

 stalks ; V, hen bruised thev emit a very grateful 

 refreshing aUour : towards the top of the plant 

 come out two or four small side branches, with 

 smaller leaves of the same shape : the flowers are 



produced in largcheads or wliorls at the top of the 

 strdk, and there is often a smaller whorl at a 

 joint below the head ; and out of the head arises 

 a naked peduncle, sustaining a small head or 

 whorl : the flosvers arc of a briiihl red colour. 

 They come out in July ; and in a moist season, 

 or when the plants grow in a moist soil, they 

 continue till the middle or end of September. It 

 is a native of North America. 



The fourth species resenibles the following, 

 but the leaves are longer, smooth, wrinkled a 

 little like those of Sage, and the flowers white. 

 It is a native of North America, flowering from 

 July to September. 



The fifth has stems about two feet high, 

 branching out from the bottom to the fop : 

 the leaves lanceolate, coming, out in dusters at 

 e«ch joint, where there are two larger leaves, 

 and several smaller ones on each side ; the larger 

 leaves are two inches and a half long, tliree 

 quarters of an inch broad, and slightly indented 

 on their edges : towards the upper part of the 

 stem the flowers come out in large whorls, with 

 an involucre to each whorl composed of tea 

 or twelve sa)a!l lanceolate leaves, of a purplish 

 red colour on their upper side (four larger, and 

 four smaller, besides the leaves of the whorls) : 

 the flowers are pretty large, of a dirty yellow 

 colour spotted with purple. It is a biennial 

 plant; and a native of Maryland and Virginia, 

 flowering here from June to October. 



Culture. — All these plahts may be increased 

 by parting the roots,, and some of them by slips 

 and cuttinirs as well as seeds. 



As the tir^t sort does not increase fast by the 

 roots, the seeds may be sown in the autumn 

 on a bed of srood earth, and in the following 

 summer the plants be removed into nursery rows 

 half a foot apart, in a rather shady situation, and 

 in the beginning of the following autumn set out 

 where they are to remain and flower. T!>«y 

 succeed best in a soft loamy soil not too much 

 exposed. 



The roots should be divided either in the au- 

 tunm or very early spring, but the former is the 

 better, bein<r afterwards either planted out in 

 rows to remain till I hey arc strong, or, when 

 stronc, at once where they are to remain. 



Strong slips or cutting* of the branches may 

 be taken ciT in the beginning of swnmer, and 

 planted out in a shady border, due shade and 

 water being given till well rooted, when in the 

 autumn they may be removed to where they are 

 to remain. 



1 !ij third sort succeeds best in a light soil, 

 in an iastern situation. 



Thev all afford ornament in the borders and 

 clumps of pleasure-grounds. 



