XL. 



NEPETA C ATARI A. 

 Catmint. 



Class XIV. DiDYNAMiA. — Order I. Gymnospermia. 



Nat. Ord. Labiate. 



Gen. Char. Calyx tubular, many-ribbed, its mouth 

 somewhat obhque, five-toothed. Corolla with the tube 

 exserted; upper Up emarginate, lower lip trifid; the 

 lateral lobes reflexed, the middle one broad, concave, 

 notched. 



Spec. Char. Flowers in spiked, somewhat stalked 

 whorls. Leaves stalked, cordate, tooth-senate. 



SYNONYMES. 



r Mentha Cataria vulgaris et major. Bauh. Pin. 220. 

 Latin . . •) ^^^"•^'^^ felina seu Cataria. Ger. Em. C82. 



j Nepeta major vulgaris. Bail Syn. 237. 



^ Nepeta Cataria. Lin. Sp. PI. 796. 

 French .... Cataire ; Chataire ; Herb-au-chat. 

 Italian .... Gattaria ; Erba gatta ; Nepitella. 

 Spanish . . . Yerba gattera. 

 German... , Katzenkraut; KatzenmUnze. 



Dutch Katte-kruid ; Nipt. 



Danish .. . , Katteurt. 

 Polish .... Mietka kotcza. 

 Swedish . , . Kattmvnta. 



Description. — The root is perennial, long, woody, with nu- 

 merous slender fibrils, of a blackish colour externally. The 

 stems are numerous, branched, quadrangular, pubescent, and 

 attain the height of two or three feet. The leaves are opposite, 

 cordate, petiolate, green above, whitish beneath, with large 

 acute serratures. The flowers are arranged in spiked, some- 



M 



