554 , LABIATE. 



being often in verticillasters. Linnaeus looked upon the fruit as 

 naked seeds, and hence included many of the plants in the order 

 Gymnospermia of his Didynamous class. They are natives chiefly of 

 temperate regions. Authors mention 120 genera, including 2500 species. 

 Examples — Mentha, Salvia, Melissa, Lamium, Teucrium, Scutellaria. 

 The plants of this order are in general fragrant and aromatic, and 

 none of them are poisonous or injurious. Scarcely any are used for 

 ordinary food, although many form grateful condiments. Their leaves 

 contain receptacles of volatile oil, and many of them furnish a 

 stearoptin resembling camphor. Medicinally, many of them are used 

 as carminatives. The species of Mentha yield volatile oils. M. Piperita, 

 Peppermint, is used as a powerful diffusible stimulant in cases of colic 

 and gastrodynia. The oil is procured by distillation with water, and, 

 when dissolved in rectified spirit, it forms the essence of Peppermint. 

 Mentha viridis, Spearmint, is used in the same way as Peppermint ; 

 while M. Pulegium, Penny-royal, is employed as a pectoral and anti- 

 spasmodic. Lavandula vera (L. spica, officinalis, and angustifolia of 

 authors) yields the best oil of Lavender ; whUe L. latifolia furnishes 

 Spike-oil. Lavandula Stoechas of the south of Europe also supplies 

 oil. Like the other volatile oils of the Labiates, oil of Lavender con- 

 sists of a fluid oil, or Elseoptin, and a solid crystalline substance, or 

 Stearoptin, analogous to camphor. Lavender is a tonic, stimulant, 

 and carminative. The flowering tops of Rosmarinus officinalis, Rose- 

 mary, furnish an oil which has similar properties. It is used much 

 in perfumery, and enters into the composition of Eau de Cologne. It 

 is reputed as possessing efiicacy in encouraging the growth of hair and 

 in curing baldness. The admired flavour of Narbonne honey is 

 ascribed to the bees feeding on the flowers of this plant. Oils of the 

 same nature are procured from Origanum vulgare, Wild Marjoram, 0. 

 Majorana, Sweet Marjoram, Origanum Dictamnus, Dittamy of Crete, 

 Melissa officinalis, common Balm, and Marrubium vulgare, white Hore- 

 hound. Some consider the Hyssop of Scripture, 31TK, Esolh, as being 

 Hyssopus orientalis {H. officinalis, var, angustifolius) ; but Royle looks 

 upon it as one of the Caper plants (Capparis cegyptiaca). Plectranthis 

 grameolens of some, Pogostemon suavis or P. Patchouly of others, is the 

 Patchouli plant of the East Indies, which is used as a perfume. It 

 is called in India puchd ■pit. It yields a volatile oil of a yeUowish- 

 green colour. Lycopus virginicus. Bugle-weed, and L. ewropmus, 

 Gipsy-wort, are used as astringents and sedatives. Many Labiates, 

 such as Thyme (Thymus), Mint (Mentha), Sage (Salvia), Basil (Ocy- 

 mum). Savoury (Satureia), etc., are used as culinary vegetables, more 

 particularly to flavour sauces and dishes. The species of Salvia are 

 distinguished by having only two stamens in consequence of the abor- 

 tion of the rest, and by their distractile connective, which separates 

 the anther lobes (fig. 365, p. 223). In the outer coat of the achenes 



