The BRITISH HERBAL. 
351 
7. Creeping fcentlefs Mother of Thyme. 
Serpyllim repens inodonm!. 
The root is fmail and thready. 
The thoots that grow firft: from it lie upon the 
ground, and talce root in different places. 
The ftallis which rife from thefe are weak, 
(lender, purple, and often branched. 
The leaves are oblong, narrow, hairy, and of 
a dufky green : they have nothing of chat fpicy 
fmell fo prevalent in the others. 
The flowers are fmail, and of a faint pui-ple : 
they fland in clutters at the cops of the ftalks. 
The feeds are fmail and blackifh. 
Ic is a nacive of Ireland, and flowers in June. 
Ray calls it Serpyllum hirfutum repens minus ino- 
doyum. 
DIVISION II. FOREIGN SPECIES. 
Garden- Thyme. 
Thy7nu}n viiJgare. 
The root is compofcd of innumerable fibres. 
The ftalks are numerous, hard, woody, brown, 
very much branched, and ten inches high. 
The leaves are Ihort, broad, pointed, and of a 
dufky green. 
The flowers are fmail, very numerous, and of 
a pale red. 
The feeds are little, roundilli, brown, and 
gloffy. 
It is a native of Italy ; but we have it for the 
fervice of the kitchen in every garden. It flowers 
in June. 
C. Bauhine calls it thymum vulgare. Others, 
'thymm duriiis. 
It is a good aromatick, ftrengthens the IIo- 
mach, difperfes flatulences, and docs fervice in 
nervous complaints. The beft way of taking it 
is in infufion. If it were not fo common at our 
tables, it would be more regarded as a medicines 
GENUS It. 
MINT. 
MENTHA. 
THE flower is compofed of a fingle petal, tubular at the bottom, and divided at the edge into 
four parts ; the upper I'cgment of which is broader than the others, and nipped at the end. The 
cup is formed of a fingle piece, divided into five flight fegments at the edge, and it remains as a co- 
vering for the feeds ; which are four in number, and fmail. 
Linni:us places this among the didynamia gymnojpenmn ; two of the four threads in the flower be- 
ing longer than the others, and the feeds ftanding in the cup naked. This author joins very im- 
properly under the fame name pennyroyal ; a plant of a genus perfectly dillina. 
DIVISION I. BRITISH SPECIES. 
1. H.>iry verticiUate W.iter-Mint. 
Mentbii aqiiatica hirfuta verticillaia. 
The root is fmail, flender, and creeping. 
The ftalks are numerous and branched : they 
are a foot long, but not very upright ; and they 
are fquare, of a pale green, and lightly hairy. 
The leaves have Ihort, hairy footftalks: they 
are oblong, moderately broad, and dented at the 
edces. Their colour is a faint green. 
The flowers ftand at the joints in clufters, fur- 
roundin" the ftalk ; they are fmail, and of a pale 
red. 
The feeds are minute and brown. 
It is common about waters, and often gets into 
corn-fields. It flowers in April, and continues 
to Auguft. 
C. Bauhine calls it Calamintha arvcnfis verlicil- 
lata. Others, Mentha arveiifis verticillala hir- 
futa. 
2. Smooth verticillate Water-Mint. 
Mentha aquaiica verticillata glahra. 
The root is fibrous. 
The ftalks lie upon the ground : they are 
fquare, weak, fmooth, purplifli, and fix or eight 
inches long, but rarely branched. 
The leaves have Ihort footftalks : they are 
fmail, oblong, fmooth, dented at the edges, and 
Iharp-pointed. Their natural colour is a dufky 
green ■, but they are often red. 
The flowers are fmail, and of a faint purple : 
they grow at the joints in clufters, furrounding 
the ftalk. 
It is found in our midland counties by the fides 
of brooks, and flowers in Auguft. 
Lobel calls it Calamintha aquatica Belgarum et 
Matthioli. Others, Mentha aquatica exigua uer- 
ticillata. 
3. Rourfd-Ieaved aromatick Mint. 
Mentha aromatica folio rctundiore. 
The root is compofed of numerous, long, and 
flender fibres. 
The ftalks are weak, fquare, partly procum- 
bent, and partly upright ; of a purplilh colour, 
and a foot or more in height. 
The leaves have very Ihort footftalks : they 
ate broad, fliort, roundifti, fliarp-pointed, and 
fliarply ferrated about the edges, 
3 ,Th? 
