656 



THE LABIATE FAMILY. 



often to a considerable length; the flower- 

 ing stems shortly ascending. Leaves 

 orbicular, crenate, deeply cordate at the 

 base, the lower ones on rather long 

 stalks. Flowers blue, from | to near an 

 inch long, in axillary whorls of about 6 ; 

 the tube of the corolla at least twice as 

 long as the calyx. 



Under hedges, on banks, edges of 

 woods, and waste places, throughout 

 Europe and central and Russian Asia, 

 excepting the extreme north, extending 

 eastward to Japan. Very abundant in 

 Britain. FL early spring. 



Fig. 786. 



Catmint Nepeta. Nepeta Cataria, Linn. (Fig. 787.) 



(Eng. Rot. t. 137. Catmint.) 



An erect, branching perennial, 2 feet 

 high or more, of a pale green, or some- 

 what hoary with minute down. Leaves 

 stalked, ovate-cordate, pointed, and 

 coarsely toothed, often whitish under- 

 neath. Flowers rather small, pale blue 

 or nearly white, crowned in compact 

 cymes, forming short, oblong spikes at 

 the ends of the branches, with frequently 

 one or two clusters a little lower down. 

 Calyx softly downy, nearly as long as 

 the tube of the corolla. 



In hedges, on roadsides and waste 

 places, throughout Europe and central 

 and Russian Asia, except the extreme 

 north. Tolerably frequent in the south 

 and centre of England, and in Ireland ; 

 Hoy less so in the north, and rare in Scot- 



land. Fl. summer, rather late. 



Fig. 



VIII. PRUNELLA. PRUNELLA. 



Low, branching, hairy perennials, with the flowers in whorls of 6, 



