LAB I AT AS (MINT FAMILY) 361 



at both ends, those near the base tapering to short petioles, the 

 upper ones sessile. Flowers in dense axillary clusters, pale purple to 

 white, the lobes of the calyx nearly equal, the corolla-tube cylindric 

 to funnel-form, with four flaring lobes, suggesting the reason why 

 the plant is named Bugleweed ; perfect stamens two, the posterior 

 pair being rudimentary. Seeds four small nutlets, three-angled, 

 longer than the calyx-lobes, in plain view when mature. (Fig. 251.) 



Means of control 



In fields, frequent cutting, close to the ground, while in early 

 flower ; or, better, hand-pulling, which often takes runners and 

 all. In ditches the weed must be grubbed out or hand-pulled. 



PEPPERMINT 

 Mentha pipertta, L. 



Other English names: Lamb Mint, Brandy Mint. 



Introduced. Perennial. Propagates by 

 seeds and by rootstoeks. 



Time of bloom : June to September. 



Seed-time: August to November. 



Range : Nova Scotia to Ontario and Minne- 

 sota, southward to Florida and Tennessee. 



Habitat: Prefers moist soil, but will grow 

 anywhere. 



Some thousands of acres in this country, 

 particularly in the states of New York, 

 Indiana, and Michigan, are very profitably 

 given to the cultivation of this plant for the 

 distillation of its oil, which is used in flavor- 

 ing confectionery, in cordials and cosmetics, 

 and also medicinally. But beyond the 

 bounds of cultivation the plant is a trouble- 

 some weed. A bed of it in the herb garden 

 is difficult of restriction within proper limits, 

 as the long, underground suckers are continu- 

 ally thrustmg up new plants where they are FlQ 252 . _ p eppermint 

 not wanted. (Mentha piperita). X i- 



