LAP.IATE FAMILY 379 



Stemmed [ilaiit, r — 2 feet high, with few roughish, 3-cleft leaves, 

 and smnll, lilac fiird-ns in very slender, terminal, compound 

 spikes. — Waste ground ; common. — Fl. July — September. 

 I'crennial. 



Ord. LIX. I.Ar.iAT.E. — The Labiate Family 



A large and clearly defined Natural C'rder, comprising upwards 

 of 2,500 species of herbs and shrubs, which agree in having 

 square slmis ; (ip[)osite, decussate, simple, exstipulate leaves ; and 

 bilabiate, or 2-lipped flotcers in axillary cyMcs, forming generally 

 verticiUasters or false whorls. The ealvx- is inferior, tubular, 

 persistent, and 5cleft ; the eoroUa hypogvriqus, monosymraelric, 

 anti mostly 2di]iped (bilabiate) ; the lower lip larger and 3dobed, 

 the upper less di^tinctly ;-lobed : the stamhis 4, didynamous, or 

 rarely 2, maturing before the stigmas (protandrous) : ovary 

 superior, of 2 united carpels, deeply 4-lobed, with a single st\le 

 arising from the base of the lobes (gynoljasic) ; stigma 2 -cleft ; 

 ]yu:t a regma d 4 nutlets, each containing a single seed. They 

 occur mostly in warm arid temperate climates, and are remarkable 

 for not possessing injurious properties in^' anv single instance. 

 !^Iost ol them have strong aromatic perfumes, which are often 

 pleasant, owing to the presence of abundance of volatile or 

 essential oil, from which camjihordike, solid subslances can be 

 extracted. ?\[entliol, for instance, is obtained trom various species 

 of ?\Iint (Menllia). It is a valuable remedy in neuralgia. 

 Patchouli {Pogoste?}ioii PeifehoiiU) is a favourite perfume, and 

 Lavender (Lavandula vtra) is not only also a perfume, but has 

 medicinal uses as a stimulant. Several kinds of Mint, especially 

 Peppermint (Mentha piperita.) and Pennyrovjal (M. Pulegiuiu), are 

 much used in medicine. Rosemary (Rosfruiriiius offieiiidlis) is 

 remarkable for its undoubted power of encouraging the growth c^f 

 the hair and curing baldness, and is an active ingredient in nio.-t 

 pomatums. It is one of the plants used hi the preparation ot 

 Eau de ("ologne and Hungar\' water, and the aihn'red lla\"0ur ot 

 Xarbonne honey is ascribed to ihe bees feeding on the llo^ei^ 

 of this plant, as the honey of Hyntettus- is indebted lor its 

 flavour to W'M Thvme. Our aromatic potdierbs, the leaves of 

 most of \\hich are used in a dried state, .".re, all members of this 

 Order. .Among them are Mint (M.'-rtiia yiridis). Sage (Salvia 

 offieiiidlis). YUvme (Tlii iiii:s vidgdris). Basil (Oeiiiiinii Basilicum), 

 Marjoram yOri'ia'nun Marjordiia). and Savory (Satureia). The 

 tubers oi S'ae'ivs tv.berifera have been intfodured from Japan, 

 under the n.ime of Chinese artichrjkes, as a substitute for potatoes. 



