508 



MEDICAL BOTANY. 



Medical Properties. — : Rosemaryis stimulant' and carminative, but is rarely- 

 employed medicinally. It was formerly in some esteem for its supposed virtues 

 in hysteria, in uterine obstructions, and nervous complaints, but is now mainly 

 used as a perfume, especially in combination with other aromatics; though it 

 also is employed as an odoriferous addition to various lotions and liniments. 



Hedeoma. — Persoon. 



Calyx bilabiate, gibbous at base, upper lip 3-toothed, lower 2 ; dentures all subulate. 

 Corolla ringent. Stamens 4, didynamous ; 2 fertile, as long as corolla, 2 sterile, short. 



The species composing this genus, which are mostly North American, 

 were included by Linnaeus in Cunila and Melissa, but were separated by 

 Persoon, and now constitute a small but well-marked group. They are all 

 small and herbaceous, with opposite leaves, and verticillate, bracteate flowers. 

 One species only is officinal. 



H. pulegioides, Persoon. — Pubescent. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, serrated, a little 

 rough. Flowers in axillary verticilli, on short pedicels. 



Persoon, St/nop., ii. 131 ; Nuttall, Gen., i. 116 ; Barton, Veg. Mat. Med., 

 ii. 165; Rafinesque, Med. Fl., i. 231; Bentham, Labiat. 366; Lindley, 

 Flor. Med. 491. 



Common Names. — Pennyroyal ; Tick Weed ; Squaw Mint. 



Fig. 220. 



H. pulegioides. 



Description. — Annual. Stem 

 upright, much branched, about 

 a foot high, somewhat angular, 

 pubescent. Leaves opposite, 

 small, lanceolate - oblong, or 

 ovate, narrowed at base, margin 

 sparsely dentated, rough, pube- 

 scent, pale beneath, shortly peti- 

 olated. The flowers are in ax- 

 illary whorls of about six, very 

 small, pale-blue, on short pedi- 

 cels. Calyx striated and pube- 

 scent, bilabiate, the upper lip 

 divided into two ciliated seg- 

 ments, the lower into three 

 rounded lobes. The stamens 

 and style are filiform. The 

 seeds are four, oblong, contain- 

 ed in the persistent calyx, the 

 mouth of which is closed by 

 bristles of the lower lip. 



The Pennyroyal is abun- 

 dant in most parts of the 

 United States, in dry, ste- 

 rile situations, and is espe, 

 cially abundant in calca- 

 reous soils. It begins to 

 blossom in July, and con- 

 tinues to flower until late in 

 the autumn. The whole 

 plant is officinal. It has a 

 powerful aromatic odour, 

 which is extremely pleasant 

 to sOme persons, but offen- 

 sive to others. The taste is 



