Pycnanthemum. 



LABIATiE. 



63 



4. Pycnanthemum muticum, Pers. Veiny-lewed Mountain Mint. 



Stem fastigiatcly paniculate at the summit, minutely pubescent or nearly smooth ; leaves 

 nearly sessile, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, rigid, usually denticulate-serrate, prominently veined, 

 nearly smooth, obtuse at the base , the upper ones canescent ; flowers in dense cymulose 

 heads ; calyx canescent , the teeth equal, triangular-ovate, short. — Pers. syn. 2. p. 128 ; 

 Pursh, fl. 2. p. 410 ; Ell. sk. 2. p. 83 ; Torr. compend. p. 235 ; Beck, hot. p. 273 ; Benth. 

 Lab. p. 329 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 344. Brachystemum muticum, Michx. fl. 2. p. 6. t. 32. 

 P. aristatum, Bigel.fl. Bost. p. 238, not of Michx. Satureja Virginiana, Linn. sp. 2. p. 598? 



Stem about 2 feet high, rigid, greenish ; the branches widely spreading, and usually level- 

 topped. Leaves 1-2 inches long and three-fourths of an inch wide, sometimes entire, at 

 length quite smooth ; the lower ones on very short petioles ; the uppermost, as well as the 

 heads and summit of the branches, canescent. Heads usually solitary, but sometimes 

 proliferous, hemispherical, nearly half an inch in diameter, very dense, but composed of 

 numerous short cymules. Exterior bracts ovate-lanceolate, acuminate. Corolla pubescent, 

 pale flesh- color spotted with purple ; the middle segment of the lower lip oblong and 

 emarginate. Stamens included. Style equally 2-cleft at the summit. Ovary smooth. 



Dry hill-sides. Island of New-York. August. 



*** Teeth of the calyx equal : flowers in numerous small dense terminal heads : bracts rigid and oppressed : lips of the corolla 



short: ovary naked. Leaves sessile, narrow, thick, 



5. Pycnanthemum lanceolatum, Pursh. Virginian Thyme. 



Stem pubescent on the angles ; leaves lanceolate or lanceolate-linear, entire, rigid ; bracts 

 ovate-lanceolate^acuminate ; calyx villous , the teeth triangular-ovate, short. — Pursh, fl. 2. 

 p. 410; Torr. compend. p. 235; Beck, hot. p. 273 ; Benth. Lab. p. 330, excl. var. a..; 

 Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 345, excl. var. latifolium ; Gray, I. c. P. Virginicum, Pers. syn. 2. 

 p. 128 ; Ait. Kew. (ed. 2.) 3. p. 377 ; Nutt. gen. 2. p. 33. Nepeta Virginica, Willd. sp. 3. 

 p. 56. Brachystemum Virginicum, Michx. fl. 2. p. 6 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 237 (in part? ). 



Stem two feet high, straight, fastigiately branched, minutely pubescent, especially on the 

 angles. Leaves 1-2 inches long and 2-5 lines wide, sessile or with very short petioles, 

 broad at the base and tapering to a rather obtuse point, distinctly punctate under a lens, often 

 perfectly smooth on both sides, but sometimes a little pubescent on the margins and the veins. 

 Heads numerous, about one-third of an inch in diameter. Bracts pubescent, with the margin 

 villous-ciliate, strongly acuminate but scarcely awned. Corolla hairy, white or pale rose-color, 

 spotted ; the middle segment of the lower lip oblong and somewhat incurved. Stamens usually 

 included. 



Moist thickets ; common. Latter part of July - August. P. verticillatum, Pers. (Bra- 

 chystemum verticillatum, Michx.) is regarded by Bentham as a variety of this species, but it 

 differs much from the plant described above. Neither Dr. Gray nor I have seen it, except in 

 the herbarium of Michaux. 



