140 LABIATAE. Vor, IIT. 
30. HYSSOPUS [Tourn.] L. Sp. Pl. 569. 1753. 
A perennial erect herb, the stem somewhat woody at the base, with narrow, entire leaves, 
and small bracted purple or blue flowers, in dense clusters in the upper axils, and forming 
elongated terminal more or less interrupted spikes. Calyx tubular, 15-nerved, about equally 
5-toothed, not hairy in the throat. Corolla-limb 2-lipped, the upper lip erect, emarginate, 
the lower spreading, 3-cleft, the middle lobe 2-lobed. Stamens 4, didynamous, the 2 longer 
ones exserted, divergent; anthers 2-celled, the sacs divaricate. Ovary deeply 4-parted; style 
2-cleft at the summit. Nutlets ovoid, somewhat 3-sided, nearly smooth. [Greek, an aromatic 
herb.] 
A monotypic genus of Europe and Asia. 
1. Hyssopus officinalis L. Hyssop. 
Fig. 3657. 
Hyssopus officinalis L. Sp. Pl. 569. 1753. 
Stems usually several together from the woody 
base, slender, strict, puberulent, simple or branch- 
ed, 1°-3° high, the branches upright or ascend- 
ing. Leaves linear to oblong, sessile or very 
nearly so, firm, acute at both ends or the lower 
obtuse at the apex, puberulent or glabrate, faintly 
veined, 14’-2’ long, 1’-3”” wide, sometimes with 
smaller ones or short leafy branches in their 
axils; spike sometimes 1-sided, dense, 3-1’ broad; 
pedicels short, puberulent; outer bracts as long 
as the calyx; calyx-teeth lanceolate, acute, one- 
fourth to one-third as long as the tube; corolla 
4-5” long, its tube exceeding the calyx. 
Along roadsides and in waste places, Ontario and 
Maine to North Carolina, and on the Pacific Coast. 
Naturalized from Europe. June—Sept. 
31. ORIGANUM [Tourn.] L. Sp. Pl. 588. 1753. 
Perennial branching herbs, some species shrubby, with rather small crenate-dentate or 
entire leaves, and small bracted pink or purple flowers, in dense terminal glomerules. Calyx 
ovoid or campanulate, villous in the throat, about 13-nerved, 5-toothed or more or less 
2-lipped. Corolla-limb 2-lipped, the upper lip erect, emarginate or 2-lobed, the lower longer, 
spreading, 3-cleft. Stamens 4, didynamous, ascending; anthers 2-celled, the sacs divergent. 
Style 2-cleft at the summit; ovary deeply 4-parted. Nutlets ovoid or oblong, smooth. 
[Greek, mountain-joy.] ; 
About 30 species, natives of the Old World, the following typical. 
1. Origanum vulgare L. Wild Marjoram. 
Winter Sweet. Organy. Fig. 3658. 
Origanum vulgare L. Sp. Pl. 590. 1753. 
Perennial from nearly horizontal rootstocks, villous 
or hirsute; stem erect, slender, 1°-23° high. Leaves 
ovate, petioled, obtuse or subacute at the apex, rounded 
or subcordate at the base, crenate or entire, 1’-13’ long, 
often with smaller ones, or short leafy branches, in 
their axils; flower-clusters often 2’ broad; bracts pur- 
plish, ovate or oval, about equalling the nearly regularly 
5-toothed calyx; corolla pink, purple or nearly white, 
longer than the calyx, the upper lobe broad; all four 
stamens, or the two longer, exserted. 
In fields and waste places, Ontario to New Jersey and 
Pennsylvania. Naturalized from Europe. Native also of 
Asia. Called also organs, pot-marjoram. July—Sept. 
