Calamintha.] labiate. 881 



of C. officinalis, otherwise similar, those accompanying the whorls rapidly dimi- 

 nishing in size. Flowers large, handsome, in secund, suhcymose or subpanicu- 

 late clusters or false verticils, arranged in pairs or one from the axil of each oppo- 

 site leaf, on a more or less elongated common stalk or peduncle (in the lowermost 

 pair or two often an inch or more long), curved upwards or ascending, parallel to 

 each other or widely diverging, the clusters themselves spreading, simply suhdi- 

 or tri-chotomously forked, or, as in C. officinalis, somewhat umbellate, but less 

 completely, each division with several linear-lanceolate or subulate, unequal and 

 ciliated bracts at its base. Pedicels very unequal, terete, hispid. Calyx distinctly 

 3-lipped, not much larger than in C. officinalis, the teeth brownish purple, the 

 3 upper ones erect or (especially after flowering) considerably recurved, the 

 3 inferior, as in that species, longer than the upper, slender, curved upwards and 

 pectinato-ciliate ; the tube, as Mr. Bentham remarks, naked or nearly so within, 

 or clothed with similar converging hairs to those of C. officinalis, but outwardly 

 with much fewer and shorter hairs than in that, sprinkled with similar resinous 

 glands. Corolla pale purplish, rose- or peach-blossom-red, downy all over exter- 

 nally, variable in size, but always larger, broader and differently coloured from C. 

 officinalis, those of the lower verticils about f ths of an inch long (1 — 1^ inch, 

 Benth.), nearly three times the length of the calyx, smaller and deeper coloured ; 

 upper lip nearly as in C. officinalis but rounder, with a similar emargination ; 

 lower lip with the lobes much broader and more rounded than in that, slightly 

 waved and crenulate, the middle lobe but little exceeding the 2 lateral in length, 

 very broad and shallow, its posterior and lateral margins rounded and overlap- 

 ping, or overlapped by the lateral lobes and concealing the sinus between them ; 

 (in C. officinalis the lobes are very distinct and widely separated from each other, 

 the middle one greatly longer than the rest and wedge-shaped at the base) ; pa- 

 late with 2 bristly prominences, and, as well as the throat and disk of the middle 

 lobe, beautifully variegated with white, and spotted deep rose-colour or rich crim- 

 son. Nuts somewhat larger and darker coloured than in C. officinalis, and, in my 

 specimens at least, less thickly and deeply punctate or nearly smooth, otherwise 

 exactly similar. 



Our plant is exceedingly well described (root excepted) by Bertoloni in Fl. 

 Ital. 



In the form of the corolla the present species approaches very closely that of 

 C. Clinopodium. 



The scent of the herbage is more agreeable than in C. officinalis, and either 

 fresh or dried partakes strongly of the odour of peppermint, but milder. 



This beautiful species grows readily from slips, and when treated as a green- 

 house plant, or kept entirely within doors, becomes extremely showy; the flowers 

 are produced in much greater number, and, though somewhat paler than in the 

 wild state, are increased in size, and crowded unilaterally on long leafy branches, 

 appearing almost one mass of blossoms. 



PoUini notices the resemblance in the odour of Melissa grandiflora to that of 

 peppermint, as in our C. sylvatica. 



»** •' Calyx nearly equal at the base. Middle lobe of lower lip of corolla notched. 

 Whorls sessile, dense, many-flowered, with numerous linear bracteas, forminy 

 u. sort of involucre. Clinopodium." — Br. Fl. 



4. C. Clinopodium, Benth. Wild Basil. " Leaves ovate 



Melissa officinalis (Common Balsam) has been found growing in Sandy lane, 

 between Whitecroft and Blackwater ; and I find it on a bank not a hundred 

 yards from the church, where it is naturalized under a garden wall. It is said to 

 be found apparently indigenous in Somersetshire and other parts of the W. of 

 England, but is with us here certainly but the outcast of gardens. 



