MELISSA NrePETA. FriELD CALAMINT. 
MELISSA. Linn. Gen. PL Dipynam1a GYMNOSPERMIA. 
Calyx aridus, fupra planiufculus: labio fuperiore fubfaftigiato. Corolle 
labium fuperius fubfornicatum, bifidum, lab. inf. lobo medio cordato. | 
Rai Sym. Gen. 14. SurrRuTICES ET HERB/E VERTICILLAT.E. 
MELISSA Nepetz pedunculis axillaribus: dichotomis folio longioribus, caule adfcendente hirfuto, 
: Linn. Syff. Veg. p. 542. Spec. Pl. p. 828. 
MELISSA folis hirfutis ovatis acuminatis, leniter ferratis, petiolis ramofis, folia fuperantibus. Ha//, 
Hifl. n. 240. 
CALAMINTHA Pulegii odore / Nepeta. Baub. Pin. 228. 
CALAMINTHA odore Pulegi. Gerard. emac. 687. 
CALAMINTHA altera odore Pulegii, folus maculofis. Parkinf: 36. Rai Syn. p. 249. Field Calamint. 
Hudfon Fl. Angl. p. 264. 
A = 
ROOT perennial, fomewhat oblique, crooked, round, 
~ woody, brown. 
STALK woody, divided juft above the bafe into 
branches, which are from one to two feet in 
length, afcending, faintly quadrangular, red- 
difh towards the bafe, befet with foft, hori- 
zontal hairs. 
LEAVES oppofite, rather remote, fitting on fhort 
footitalks, fcarcely an inch long, {preading, 
{lightly keel'd, reflexed at the point, of a 
broad ovate, almoft heart-fhaped figure, blunt- 
ith, ferrated, the margin rolled back, and 
{lightly waved, wrinkled, foft, villous on both 
fides, of a pale green colour. 
FLOWERS placed in whorls, pale blue, before they 
expand yellowifh, poffeffing like the whole 
plant a pleafant aromatic fmell. 
WHORLS growing in halves, longer than the leaves, 
RADIX perennis, fubobliqua, teres, flexuofa, lignofa, 
fufca. | 
CAULIS lignofus, mox fupra bafin divifus in ramos 
elongatos, pedales ad bipedales, afcendentes, 
a s tetragonos, inferne rufefcentes, pilis 
mollibus, horizontalibus obfitos. 
FOLIA oppofita, remotiufcula, breve petiolata, vix 
pollicaria,  patentiffima, | fubcarinata, apice 
reflexa, late ovata, fere cordata, obtufiufcula, 
ferrata, margine revoluta, fubundulata, veno- 
fo-rugofa, mollia, utrinque villofa, pallide 
viridia. 
FLORES verticillati, pallide ccerulei, ante explica- 
tonem flavefcentes, odoris uti tota planta 
aromatici. 
VERTICILLI dimidiati, foliis altiores, pauciflori. g g 
| few-flowered. 
BRACTEA/E few, {mall, awl-fhaped. 
COMMON PEDUNCLES two out of the ale of the 
leaves, branched, bearing four or fix flowers. 
| Partial Peduncles unequal, upright: 
CALYX: a monophyllous Perranruium, tubular, 
permanent, {lightly hairy, with fifteen ftrie, 
and five teeth, which are acuminated, on 
both edges hairy, the two inferior ones longer 
and narrower. ‘Che ftriz and teeth of a brown 
purplifh colour, jg. 1. 
COROLLA monopetalous, gaping, longer than the ca- 
| lyx, flightly hairy. The Tuse cylindrical, 
whitifh. Mouth of the tube bearded. The 
Upper Lip fhorter, almoft upright, deeply 
emarginated, nearly obcordate, at the back | 
folded. The Unpnrr Lip trifid, waved, the 
middle fegment larger than the others. 
STAMINA: four round whitifh Frnamenrts fhorter 
than the corolla, two of them fhorter than 
the reft. ANrHer«_ bilocular, violet-co- 
loured. PoLLen white, fg. 9. 
PISTILLUM: Germen quadrifid, at the bafe fur- | 
rounded with a nectariferous, orange-coloured 
GLANDULE. STYLE thread-fhaped, purplifh, 
the length of the corolla, turned in along 
with the ftamina, under the upper lip ofthe 
corolla. Sricma flender, bifid, reflexed, 
BRACTE pauce, parve, fubulate. 
PEDUNCULI communes duo, axillares, dichotomo- 
ramofi, 4-6 flori. Pedrcelli inzequales, ere€ti. 
CALYX: Perrantuium monophyllum, tubulatum, 
perfiftens, quindecimftriatum, pilofiufculum, 
quinquedentatum, dentibus acuminatis, utrin- 
que hirfutis, inferioribus duobus longioribus, 
anguílioribus. Striz dentefque fufco-purpu- 
raícentes, jig. 1. 
COROLLA monopetala, ringens, calyce longior, pi- 
lofiufcula. Tusus cylindraceus, albidus. 
Faux dehifcens, barbata. Lasium fuperius 
brevius, erectiufculum, profunde emarginatum, 
fubcordatum, dorfo plicatum : inferms trifi- 
dum, undulatum, lacinia media majori, fig. 2. 
STAMINA: FiLAMENTA quatuor, teretia, albida, co- 
rolia breviora, duo breviora. ANTHERA 
biloculares, violacee. PorLsNw album, fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen quadrifidum, bafi glandula 
| . ne&tarifera fulvente cinctum. Srvrvs fili- 
formis, purpurafcens, corolle longitudine, 
cum [taminibus fub labio fuperiore corolla 
inclinatus. Stigma tenue, bifidum, reflexum, 
SES: 4- 
PERICARPIUM nullum. Calyx SUCUS in finu 
femina. fovens. 
SEMINA. quatuor, ovata. 
CO GOOD CCCo OC e De OW QNO Geo oO WOO OO ON O «OK DO eO Oe CoD Cox 
jig. 4. 
PERICARPIUM none, The calyx unaltered contains 
the feeds. 
SEEDS: four, ovate. 
DOr 
This fpecies of Melifla affe&s dry, chalky foils, and is frequent in many parts of Kent by road fides, and in 
uncultivated places; we find it in tolerable abundance in the old fand-pits at the back of Charlton church, where 
it flowers in July, Auguft, and September. | 
Students are apt to miftake it for the Me//f/z Calamintha, from which, it differs eflentially in many refpeéts, 
which we fhall particularize when that plant comes to be figured. 
It is worthy of notice on account of its fragrance ; it is moreover a medicinal plant. 
The whole herb has a ftrong aromatic fmell, approaching to that of Pennyreyal, anda moderately pungent 
tafte, fomewhat like that of Spearmint, but warmer; in virtue it appears to be nearly fimilar to a mixture of thefe 
herbs; infufions of the leaves are drank .as tea in weaknefles of the flomach, flatulent cholics, and uterine 
obítruCüons. Lewis Mat. Med. ed. Aik. p. 172. 
