Mint Family. 133 



teeth obtuse; corolla purplish, varying to cream-eolor. Rich soil; July-Septem- 

 ber; common. 



T. occidentcile A. Gray. Similar to the preceding, villous or pubescent; 

 leaves thin, slender petioled; calyx villous, the 3 upper calyx-teeth acute or 

 acuttsh. Moist soil; July-September. This species occurs near our western 

 and southwestern border and probably belongs to our flora. 



MENTHA L. Strong-scented perennial herbs, usually spreading by creep- 

 ing rootstocks. Flowers small, white or purplish, glomerate. Calyx cara- 

 panulate, equally 5-toothed. Corolla-tube scarcely exceeding the calyx, limb 

 nearly equally 4-cleft. Stamens 4, erect, distant. 



M. canadensis L. Wild Mint. Stem 1-2 feet high, simple or branched, 

 hoary-pubescent; leaves ovate-oblong to lanceolate, tapering both ways, pet- 

 ioled, serrate; flower clusters shorter than the petioles; calyx hairy: stamens 

 exserted. Wet soil; July-September; common. This species varies to almost 

 glabrous, with short-petioled leaves, the variety rii.vBRA.TA Benth. 



M. viridis L. Spearmint. A glabrous perennial, 1-2 feet high, with lanceo- 

 late sessile or short-petioled serrate leaves, and whorls of small flowers col- 

 lected into a terminal narrow interrupted spike. Waste places; July-Septem- 

 ber; infrequent; Muscatine and Taylor counties; reported from Lee county. 

 ( ^[. spicatn L. ) 



M. piperita L. Peppermint. Perennial, glabrous, 1-3 feet high, with lan- 

 ceolate petioled serrate leaves, and whorls of flowers in terminal dense or in- 

 terrupted spikes. Waste places; July-September; reported from Lee county. 



LYCOPUS L. Perennials, with sharply toothed or pinnatifid leaves, and 

 small mostly white flowers in dense axillary whorls. Calyx campanulate, 4- 

 5-toothed. Corolla campanulate, but little exceeding the calyx, about equally 

 4-lobed. Stamens 2, distant. 



* Calyx-teeth mostly 4, ovate, shorter than the nutlets. 



L. Virginicus L. Bagle-wced. Stolouiferous: stem 1-2 feet high, obtusely 

 4-angled; leaves ovate or oblong-lanceolate, acuminate both ways, short- 

 petioled, thin, toothed above the base. Moist shady places; July-August; 

 frequent; Johnson, Decatur, and Emmet counties; reported from Fayette, 

 Story, and Woodbury counties. 



* * Cnlyx-teeth usually 5, lanceolate or subulate, longer than the nutlets. 

 t Bracts very small; corolla twice the length of the calyx. 



L. rubellus Moench. Stoloniferous; stem 1-3 feet high, obtusely 4-angled, 

 somewhat pubescent; leaves ovate-oblong or oblong-lanceolate, sharply ser- 

 rate in the middle, acuminate both ways, petioled; calyx-teeth 5, acute. Wet 

 soil; July-August; infrequent; Muscatine and Decatur counties; reported 

 from Story county. 



f f Bracts lanceolate or subulate; corolla less than twice the length of the calyx. 



L. sinuatus Ell. Not stoloniferous, perennial by suckers; stem 1-3 feet 

 hifh, acutely 4-angled, glabrous or minutely pubescent: leaves oblong or lan- 

 ceolate, acuminate, sinuate, incised or pinnatifid, tapering to a slender peti- 

 ole, calyx-teeth triangular-subulate and short-cuspidate. Low places; July- 

 September; common. {L. americanus Muhl.) 



L. lucidus Turcz. Stoloniferous, usually simple, leafy, 1-3 feet high: 

 leaves oblong-lanceolate, sessile or short-petioled, sharply serrate; bracts 

 ovate or lanceolate, acuminate-subulate: calyx-teeth subulate-lanceolate. 

 Wet soil; July-September; forms from Woodbury countj- have been referred 

 to this species. (L. lucirlus var. umericanux A. Gray.) 



