D1DYNAMIA GYMNOSPERMIA 357 



Root perennial. Stem 6 to 18 inches long, slender, prostrate, radicating ; flow- 

 ering branches erect, or ascending, flaccid, 4 to 8 or 10 inches high, retrorseiy 

 pubescent with short subulate hairs. Leaves 3 fourths of an inch to an inch and 

 haiflong.and 1 to 2 inches wide, coarsely crenate, pilose on the upper surface, and 

 nerves beneath ; petioles 1 to 3 inches long, retrorseiy pilose. Verticils all distant, 

 in the axils of the leaves, often halved, or a small cluster in one of the opposite ax- 

 ils ; pedicels with very small subulate ciliate bracts at base. Calyx tubular, pi- 

 lose; teeth lanceolate, ciliate, with an awn-like acumination. Corolla blue, or 

 purplish blue (rarely white), hairy; upper lip bifid ; tube slender, much exserted. 

 Anthers approximated in pairs ; cells diverging, presenting the figure of a cross. 

 Hab. Fence-rows, and shaded places: frequent. FJ. May— June. Fr. July. 



Obs. Naturalized in many localities; but clearly, I think, not indigenous. It 

 is said to have been used in brewing Ale, prior to the employment of Hops. The 

 infusion is a popular medicine, like that of the preceding. I have followed Mr. 

 Bentham in reducing this to a species of Nepeta; though, it must be confessed, its 

 habit is very different from that of the common Cat-mint. Mr. B. avers, however* 

 that the whole of this Tribe might be not inappropriately considered as a single 

 genus. There arc no native species in the U. States. 



9. Stachvs Tribe. Calyx irregularly veined, or 5 to lO-nerved, oblique, or 

 rarely sub-bilabiate, 3 to 10-toothed. Corolla bilabiate ; upper lip galeate, or flat, 

 entire, or emarginate; lower lip variously 3-lubed. Stamens ascending, upper 

 pair shorter. StachydbjB. Benth. 



287. LAMIUM. L. Nutt. Gen. 600. 

 [Greek, Laimos, the throat; from its gaping flowers.] 



Calyx tubular-campanulatc, about 5-nerved ; limb mostly oblique ; 

 teeth 5, nearly equal, subulate at apex. Corolla ringent ; upper lip 

 ovate, or oblong, galeate, mostly narrowed at base ; throat dilated ; late- 

 ral lobes at the margin of the throat truncate, or oblong, sometimes 

 with a tooth-like process ; middle or lower lobe broad, emarginate, con- 

 tracted at base, substipitate. 



1. L. amplexicaulb, L. Leaves rounded, crenately incised, lower 

 ones petiolate, floral ones sessile, amplexicaul ; tube of the corolla na- 

 ked within, the lateral lobes not toothed. Becky JBot. />. 278. 

 Amplexicaul Lamiuk. Vulgo — Dead Nettle. Hen-bit. 

 Gall. — Le Lamier. Germ. — Die Taube Nessel. Hisp. — Ortiga muerta. 

 Root annual. Stems several, or much branched from the base, decumbent, 

 ascending, 6 to 12 inches high, smooth ish, or minutely and retrorseiy hairy, mostly 

 purple. Leaves half an inch to 3 quarters in length, and mostly wider than long ; 

 lower or cauline ones on petioles half an inch to an inch long ; upper or floral ones 

 closely sessile, dilated, hairy. Verticils many-flowered, dense, sitting closely in 

 the axils of the floral leaves, lower ones distant, upper ones rather approximated. 

 Calyx sessile , hirsute. Corolla bright deep purple, pubescent, the galeate upper 

 lip nearly entire, clothed with a purple villus ; lower lip obcordate ; throat dilated, 

 laterally compressed ; tube slender, much exserted. Anthers hairy. Akenes ob- 

 ovoid-oblong, subtriquctrous, convex externally, purplish, roughish with paler 

 colored dots. 



Hab. Gardens, and cultivated lots: common. Fl. April— May. Fr. June. 



06*. Abundantly naturalized ; and rather a troublesome weed in gardens. The 

 variety, with the corolla of the lower verticils minute, or abortive, may often be 

 observed in flower in February and March. 



