DICOTYLEDONES— COEOLLIFLOR^. 401 



and formed of two carpels, each of which has 2 deep lobes, with 

 1 erect ovule in each lobe ; style 1, basilar ; stigma bifid. Fruit 

 composed of from 1 to 4 aohsenia, enclosed by the persistent 

 calyx. Seed erect, with little or no albumen; embryo erect, 

 with flat cotyledons ; radicle inferior. 



Diagnosis. — Herbs or shrubby plants, with opposite exstipu- 

 late leaves. Flowers irregular, unsymmetrical. Calyx persis- 

 tent. Corolla usually more or less bilabiate, with the odd lobe 

 anterior. Stamens usually 4 and then commonly didynamous, 

 or rarely of equal length ; or only 2 by abortion. Ovary deeply 

 4-lobed ; style 1, basilar ; stigma bifid. Fruit consisting of from 

 1 to 4 achsenia, enclosed by the persistent calyx. Seed erect, with 

 little or no albumen ; radicle inferior. 



Distrihution and Numbers. — Chiefly natives of temperate 

 regions. Illustrative Genera : — Mentha, Linn. ; Salvia, Linn. ; 

 Origanum, Linn. ; Lamium, Linn. There are nearly 2,600 

 species. 



Properties and Uses. — The plants of this large order are 

 entirely free from any deleterious qualities. They abound in 

 volatile oil, and are therefore commonly aromatic, carminative, 

 and stimulant. All labiate plants also contain more or less of a 

 bitter extractive matter, and many of them possess an astrin- 

 gent princixjle, hence they are frequently tonic and stomachic. 

 Several are used in perfumery on account of their agreeable 

 odours ; and many are emj)loyed by the cook for flavouring, 

 such as Thymus vulgaris (Garden Thyme), Thymus citriodorns 

 (Lemon Thyme), Salvia officinalis (Sage), Origanum vulgare 

 (Marjoram), Majorana hortensis (Sweet Marjoram), Satureia 

 montana (Winter Savorj), Satureia hortensis (Summer Savory), 

 &c. The fleshy underground stems of Stachys xialustris and of 

 a species of Ocyinum are edible. 



Anomalous Order. 



Order 212. Plantaginace^, the Eibwort Order. — C h a- 

 r a c t e r. — Serbs, generally without aerial stems. Leaves com- 

 monly ribbed and radical. Flowers usually in spikes and perfect, 

 or rarely solitary, and sometimes unisexual. Calyx persistent, 

 4-partite, imbricate. Corolla dry and membranous, persistent, 

 4-partite. Stamens equal in number to the divisions of the 

 corolla, and alternate with them ; filaments long and slender ; 

 anthers versatile. Ovary simple, but sometimes spuriously 2- or 

 4-oeUed from the prolongation of processes from the placenta ; 

 style and stigma entire, or the latter is rarely cleft. Capsule 

 VOL. n. ^ D 



