DIDYNAMIA— GYMNOSPERMIA. Mentha. 83 



recurved. Its scent is that of most of this genus, especially M. 

 viridis; but I have a Shropshire specimen from the Rev. E. 

 Williams, smelling like M. arvensis hereafter described. The 

 stem is from 4 to 6 feet high^ erect, though more or less wavy, 

 supporting itself on bushes, and never quite straight; with few 

 and short branches ; leafy, variously tinged with deep red, mostly 

 smooth and shining. Leaves stalked, broadly ovate, strongly 

 serrated, of a deep shining green ; paler beneath, copiously be- 

 sprinkled with resinous dots ; the upper ones small and short, 

 occasionally crisped ; all either quite smooth, or bearing a few 

 minute hairs on the ribs and veins, some such being scattered 

 over the upper surface. Whorls numerous, stalked, of many 

 large reddish^^owers. Bracteas linear, fringed, at least towards 

 the point; innermost bristle-sliaped. Flower-stalks round, of a 

 shining red or purple, invariably smooth, as is also the lower 

 part of the tubular calyx, though its teeth are always hairy, or 

 fringed, and the upper part of the tube is occasionally hairy, its 

 whole surface bearing resinous dots. Cor. large, quiie smooth, 

 partly in like manner dotted. Stayn. various in length on the 

 same specimen. 

 Our earlier British botanists confounded this with the Linnaean M. 

 sativa, or verticillata, see M. hirsuta g", p. 79, under the appel- 

 lation of C. Bauhin's M. crispa verticillata,hut on attentive con- 

 sideration of his synonyms, I think the latter writer had not our 

 rubra in contemplation. This is however the plant of Ray, and 

 probably of J. Bauhin. It is by far the tallest and handsomest of 

 our Mints, and cannot be confounded with any other. 



9. M. gentilis. Bushy Red Mint. 



Flowers whorled. Leaves ovate. Stem much branched, 

 .spreading. Flower-stalks, and base of the bell-shaped 

 calyx, nearly smooth. 



M. gentilis. Linn. Sp. PI. 805. Willd. Sp. PL ?i. 3. 80 ? Sm. Tr. 



of Linn. Soc.v. 5. 208. Fl. Br. 621. Engl. Bot. v. 30. ^ 21 18. 



Hull] 73. Hook. Scot. 18\ } 

 M. rubra. Sole Menth. 41 . M8. 

 M. n.224. Hall. Hist. v.l.^S. 

 /3. IM. rivalis a. Sole Menth. 45. t. 20. 

 y. M. variegata. Sole Menth. 43. ^ 19. 

 M. arvensis verticillata versicolor. Moris, sect. W.t. 7.f. 5. Herb. 



Buddie. 

 M. crispa verticillata. Herb. Cliffort. 



In watery waste places, rare. " , 



a. In pools and brooks between Mole and Llanroost, North Wales. 



Mr. Sole. Shropshire. Rev. E. Williams. Near Holt, Norfolk. 



Prof. Hooker and Mr. Borrer. 



g2 



