LABIATE. 25 



retained by closed windows. It wns likewise thought to communicate its purifying 

 qualities to water, and Gerardo tolls us : " If you have, wlicu you aro at the sea, 

 Penny-royalo in great quantity dry, and cast it into corrupt water, it lielpcth it 

 much, neither will it hurt them that drink thereof." As a purifier of tho blood, aa 

 well as other things, it is highly spoken of : " Penny-royalc taken with honey 

 dcanseth the lungs, and cleareth tho breast from all gross and thick humours." 

 According to Boj'lo, it is a useful medicine in hooping-cough ; but, as this disease is 

 just one which no internal remedy is over known to affect, it is safe to recommend it, 

 without fear of its unfavourable contrast with other medicines. It was deemed by 

 our ancestors as valuable in headaches and giddiness. Wc aro told : " A garland of 

 Penny-royalo made and wome about tho head is of great force against the swimming 

 in tho head, and the paines and giddinesse thereof." 



Tribe II.— SATUREIINE^. 



Corolla bilabiate ; upper lip fiat. Stamens 4, divergent, or curved 

 and converging at the apex ; the outer or lower pair the longest ; 

 anthers 2-cellcd, cells convergent. 



GENUS III.—T H Y M U S. Linri. 



Calyx bilabiate, with 10 to 13 striaj, 5-toothed; 3 upper teeth short, 

 triangular ; lower pair linear-subulate, ascending. Corolla bilabiate ; 

 upper lip notched; lower lip 3-lobed, with the middle lobe larger than 

 the others, notched. Stamens 4 ; filaments straight, divergent ; anther- 

 cells at length diverging at the base, not contiguous at the apex. 



Aromatic undershrubs, with small entire leaves, often vdth revolute 

 margins. Flowers pale purple, blue, or white, in verticillasters collected 

 into terminal heads or lax spikes, or with the verticillasters distant, in 

 the former case sometimes with the bracts coloured. 



The origin of the name of this genus of plants is thus given by several authors : 

 It is said to be Ov^os (^fhijmos) of Theophrastus and Dioscorides ; from Ovftog (tliymos), 

 courage, strength, the smell of thyme being reviving ; or from Ovw {thijo), to perfume, 

 because it was used for incense in temples. 



SPECIES I.— THYMUS SERPYLLUM. Linn. 

 Plates MXLIH. MXLIV. 



Stems weak, procumbent or ascending, branched. Leaves flat, shortly 

 stalked, elliptical-oblong or oval, obtuse, entire. Flowers capitate, 

 usually with several separated Avhorls beneath the terminal head. 

 Bracts resembling the leaves. Calyx Avidely funnel shaped, attenuated 

 towards the base, the 3 upper teeth triangular, the 2 of the lower 

 lip triangular-subulate; all ciliated. Tube of the corolla not exceeding 

 the calyx. 



VOL. VII. E 



