MINT NOTES 



115 



(j) var. weiheana (Opiz) H. Braun (1890, 424). 



Stengel . . . mit kurzen Haaren, und kurzen bluthentragenden Zweigen hekleidet. 

 Blatter heiderseits dicht hehaart, alle gestielt, hreit-oval, am Grunde abgerundet, nicht 

 an den Blattstiele herahlaufend, an der Spitze lange und allmdhlig verschmdlert, 5-6 cm. 

 lang, 3-3-5 cm hreit, tief gesdgt, Sdgezdhne spitz, gleich weit von einander entfernt , . . 



This variety is characterised chiefly by the long, drawn-out leaf apex, and no doubt 

 approaches var. acuta (below) in this respect. The serratures are deep, well spaced. 

 Fraser's comment that the leaves are thinly and shortly hairy disagrees with heiderseits 

 dicht hehaart, and other discrepancies between his text and Braun's will be noticed. 



(k) var. nemorosa Fries (1828, 183). 



Glahriuscula. Caules altiores, virentes. Folia ovata s. ohlonga, sparsim pilosa. 

 Capitula minus congesta. Pili pedicellorum hrevissimi, suhadpressi. Calyx passim 

 glabra. (The comparatives are in distinction from var. hirsuta). 



This variety differs from all others that I have seen described in literature (except 

 M. citrata Ehrh. which is doubtfully a true water mint), in that the calyx is quite glabrous. 

 Such a feature is clearly most unusual in a water mint. I have examined a great wealth 

 of material, both British and Continental, but have failed to find a single example of an 

 undoubted water mint with a glabrous or essentially glabrous calyx, indeed in only two 

 instances were the cilia so short as to give a glabrous appearance. Fries' specimen has 

 not been traced, and it is not at present known to me whether it exists. Information was 

 requested from certain Swedish botanists, but unfortunately no reply has to date been 

 received. 



In my view, a mint with a glabrous calyx and morphological resemblance to a water 

 mint can arise only as a result of hybridity. M. citrata Ehrh., which will be the subject 

 of a later paper, is very like a water mint in appearance, and has been classed as a variety 

 of M. aquatica L. by several authors. Its calyx is essentially glabrous, and it is likely to 

 have arisen either as a sport or form of a hybrid, or as a double hybrid, of M. aquatica 

 with M. spicata. It is clear that var. nemorosa cannot be the same sort of mint as M. 

 citrata, as Fries describes the two separately. The only mint known to me which might 

 bear relationship to var. nemorosa is the well-known " Roydon mint," from near Roydon, 

 v.c. 20, which has a wholly glabrous calyx, and is indeed almost glabrous throughout. But 

 this is very likely also to be a hybrid of the two parents suggested for M. citrata, or possibly 

 a sport of the latter. 



According to present knowledge it is not possible to be definite about var. nemorosa. 

 The solution can only lie in the original specimen. This much, however, can be said, 

 that on account of the glabrous calyx var. nemorosa is unlikely to be a true water mint, 

 and is probably a hybrid of which one parent is M. aquatica L. It will be noted that 

 Fries cites this latter as a synonym of var. nemorosa, but I have doubts as to the accuracy 

 of this view. 



2. With an attenuate leaf base 



(1) var. ortmanniana (Opiz) H. Braun (1890, 421). 



M. Ortmanniana Opiz (1826, 437) 



Stengel dUnn, schlaff, aufrecht, unterwdrts kahl oder an den Kanten hehaart, 

 Blattstiele zerstreut mit weisslichen Haaren hekleidet. Blatter ziemlich lang gestielt, 

 diinn, klein oder mittelgross, die obersten am Stengel klein, heiderseits wenig aber 

 hauptsdchlich nur an den Nerven hehaart, nach oben spitz, ofter in eine Idngliche 

 Spitze vorgezogen, eifdrmig-lanzettlich, in den Blattstiel fast rhombisch zugeschweift, 



