STUDIES OF PLANT LIFE 
Witp BercamMot—Monarda fistulosa (L.). 
Among the Mints we have many different species, all 
odorous, pungent and aromatic; some have pretty flowers, 
but generally speaking they are more valued for their 
qualities than chosen for any striking beauty of color in 
the blossoms. We have Spearmint, Peppermint, Horsemint, 
Catnip and many others of this humble but not useless 
family. 
The plants of the Natural Order Labiate are remarkable 
for being mostly aromatic and pungent; although some are 
coarse and rank in odor, none are burtful. 
One of the handsomest and most agreeable in scent is the 
tall Monarda or Wild Bergamot, a very handsome sweet- 
scented plant, common upon our oak-openings and wild 
grassy plains and dry uplands. I have seen a very pretty 
variety—Monarda fistulosa (L.), var. mollis (Benth)—with 
rose-colored blossoms and glandular flowers, from the Poplar 
Hills, Manitoba. The species so commonly seen on the hilly 
ground above Rice Lake—J/onarda fistulosa (L.)—is tall, 
with soft leaves of a dull green, of a fine aromatic scent and 
velvety surface; the globular heads of the lilac-lipped 
flowers are terminal; the color of the corolla varies from 
lilac to very pale pinkish-white. 
All the species are sweet-scented and might be utilized to 
advantage as an aromatic flavoring, the Bergamot being far 
more delicate and agreeable than the Wintergreen which is 
so largely used in confections. 
HEataLt—Prunella vulgaris (L.). 
This simple herb is commonly found in grassy meadows 
and on wayside waste-lands, near rivers and low grounds. 
it is common everywhere, yet it is generally thought to be an 
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