43 



BALM, or BAUM.— MELISSA. 



Natural order, Verticillata. A genus of the 

 Didynamia Gymnospermia class. 



The Greeks called this plant nAiaaotyvWov 

 r) fieX'KpvXXovy melissophyllum, or melipayllum, id 

 est, apum folium, that is bee's leaf, from the 

 fondness these insects shew for this herb. 

 It is called melissa, from r^Xi, honey, because 

 bees gather much honey from its flowers. 

 It has also been called apiastrum, from apes, 

 a bee, on the same account ; and it is still 

 the custom to rub the hives with balm and 

 sugar, or honey, previously to taking a swarm ; 

 a practice which certainly appears to have 

 the effect of attaching the colony to its new 

 settlement. Pliny notices this method of 

 securing the bees in his time, and says, that 

 where there is plenty of balm in the garden, 

 there is no fear of the swarms straying ; he 

 tells us also, that it is a good remedy for the 

 sting of bees and wasps, &c. and enumerates 



