MINT FAMILY 



LABIATAE 



WATER HOREHOUND 



Lycopus americanus Muhl. 



Members of this genus are practically without odor. 



The Water Horehound is common in wet soil nearly through- 

 out the continent. It is perennial by suckers and produces stiff 



erect shoots that grow 1-2 feet high. 

 The lower leaves are deeply and 

 sharply cut and lobed, and the 

 upper are as shown. 



The small white flowers are 

 whorled in dense axillary clusters and 

 bloom from June to October. The 

 bell-shaped calyx has 5 sharp stiff 

 teeth of equal length. One of the 4 

 corolla lobes is broader than the 

 others and slightly notched at the tip. 

 Two perfect stamens extend beyond 

 the corolla tube and 2 little rudi- 

 mentary stamens are included within 

 the tube. The ovary is deeply 4- 

 parted and the slender style is 2-cleft 

 at the top. The nutlets are smooth, 

 slightly triangular and much shorter 

 than the calyx. 



The Bugle Weed, Lycopus virgini- 



cus L., is a not uncommon species in 



this state. It grows in wet woodlands 



from New Hampshire to Nebraska, 



south to Florida and Missouri. The 



slender stems are 6-24 inches high and 



give off long threadlike leaty stolons. 



The ovate or ovate-lanceolate leaves 



are merely sharply toothed. The pale 



purple or white flowers bloom from July to September. The calyx 



is usually only 4-toothed and the corolla is twice as long as the calyx 



or even longer. The nutlets are slightly longer than the calyx. 



The Stalked Water Horehound, Lycopus rubellus Moench, is much 

 like the Bugle Weed in habitat, range, and characteristics of stems, 

 and leaves. This is the taller plant, however, growing i-j teet high, 

 and its blooming season lasts into October. It rarely has runners such 

 as in L. virginicus; if it has they are short. The Stalked Water Hore- 

 hound has long triangular sharp-pointed calyx teeth and the nutlets 

 are much shorter than the calvx. 



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