THE MINT TRIBE. 19^ 



two being shorter than the others ; their anthers 

 consist of two lobes which diverge very much, and 

 are only connected just at the tips {fig. 3.). The 

 structure of the ovary and fruit {figs. 4. & 6.) is like 

 that of the Borage tribe ; but the style is uniformly 

 forked at its upper end, and has a very minute stigma 

 on each point of the fork {fig. 5.). 



Plants thus constructed, and there is a considerable 

 number of them, form what Botanists term Lahlatce, 

 and which may be called in English the Mint tribe. 

 They are kno\^-n from all, except the Borages, by their 

 four-lobed ovary; and from the Borages they are 

 distinguished by their opposite leaves, square stems, 

 irregular flowers, and several other characters ; espe- 

 cially by a total difference in their sensible proper- 

 ties. While all the Borages are insipid and scent- 

 less, the Mint tribe consists of aromatic herbs, whose 

 leaves and flowers are both impregnated with a vola- 

 tile matter which is continually exhaling, and which 

 becomes exceedingly perceptible when the parts are 

 rubbed. For instance, Lavender, Thyme., and Rose- 

 mary, Mint, Basil, Sage, Marjoram, and Clary, the 

 common aromatic herbs of the Kitchen Garden, are 

 all relatives of each other, and belong to this natural 

 order. 



Of our ^nld flowers the most remarkable genera, 

 besides those above mentioned, are the Dead Nettles 

 (Lamium), with their strong-smelling leaves and flow- 

 ers of purple or white ; Bugles (Ajuga), with blue 

 flowers and creeping stems ; Ground Ivy (Glechoma), 

 that crawls over the bottoms of dry ditches and up 



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