412 THE LABIATE EAMILT. 



tract-like floral leaves small, heart-shaped, and entire. ' Plowers small, blue, 

 in whorls of about 6, forming terminal hairy spikes ; the corolla seldom twice 

 the length of the calyx. 



In waste places, on roadsides, etc., in northern and central Europe and 

 Eussian Asia. Scattered over England, Ireland, and southern Scotland as 

 far as Edinbixrgh. Fl. summer. In southern Europe it is replaced by the 

 small-flowered & clandestina, a marked variety or perhaps species, on a 

 smaller scale, with narrower, more cut leaves, and smaller flowers, which has 

 been indicated in some parts of south-western England and in the Channel 

 Islands, but all the British specimens I have seen are nearer to the common 

 ucild S. 



II. LYCOPXJS. LYCOPrS. 



Herbs, with the habit and flowers of a Mint, but with only 2 stamens, 

 and the nuts surrounded by a thickened, somewhat corky border. 



Besides the British species there are but veiy few, dispersed over Europe, 

 Asia, and North America. Perhaps indeed all but one may be mere varie- 

 ties of the common one. 



1. Common Lycopus. Xiycopus europseus, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1105. GipsywoH.) 



A tall, erect, and branching perennial, shghtly hairy, with a shortly 

 creeping rootstock. Leaves shortly stalked, lanceolate or ahnost ovate, 

 deeply toothed or pinnat'fid. Flowers small and very iiumerous, in dense 

 axillary whorls or clusters, seldom exceeding the leafstalk. Calyx-teeth 5, 

 stiff and pointed. Corolla scarcely exceeding the calyx-teeth, and nearly 

 equaUy 4-lobed. Stamens rather longer. 



In wet ditches, and marshes, throughout Europe, Russian and central 

 Asia, and North America, and perhaps the same species in Australia. 

 Abundant in England and Ireland, extending into Scotland, but becoming 

 rare as it advances northward. Fl. summer. 



IIL MINT. MENTHA. 



Perennial herbs, usually downy or hairy, with rather small flowers in 

 dense whorls or clusters, which are either collected ia termmal heads or 

 spikes, or axillary and distant. Caly% of 5 teeth, regular or shghtly 2- 

 lipped. Corolla with a short tube and a campanulate 4-lobed limb, the 

 upper lobe rather broader and sometimes shghtly notched. Stamens 4, 

 equal and erect, the anthers 2-celled. Nuts smooth, not bordered. 



A natural genus, not numerous in species, but widely difiused over the 

 greater part of the globe without the tropics, and most of the species, from 

 the variety of situation to which they will adapt themselves, vary so much 

 as to render their exact definition almost hopeless. Many of them also pro- 

 pagate so readily from suckers, that individual varieties are perpetuated so 

 as to assume the appearance of species. Almost aU the species vary in 

 the stamens, in some individuals mvich longer than the corolla, in others in- 

 cluded \vithin the tube, and often barren ; and in several species individuals 

 occur with all the leaves crisped and cut, and have been pubUshed as dis- 

 tinct, under the names of M. crispa or crispata. 



