ORIG'ANUM DICTAM'NUS. 
DITTANY OF CKETE. 
Class. Order. 
DtDYNAMIA. GYMNOSPERMIA. 
Natural Order. 
lamiacea:. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Introduced 
Candia. 
9 inches. 
July, Aug. 
Perennial. 
in 1551. 
No. 1125. 
Origanum is one amongst the most ancient of 
Botanical names, having been used by the Greeks, 
long before the Christian era. It is formed of the 
two Greek words oros and ganos, signifying a 
mountain and joy; and was used in allusion to the 
usual place of growth of the plant, and its agree- 
able fragrance. 
This is one amongst the most easily cultivated 
of old-fashioned window plants ; it is, too, a very 
ornamental one. Besides this, it will hear exposure 
through a mild winter, and during summer makes 
a pretty rock plant or low border ornament. Cul- 
tivated in the house, it assumes a woolly and alto- 
gether a whiter aspect than when grown in the 
open air, as was the plant from which our drawing 
was made. It is also suitable for bedding out, as 
it continues to flower till prevented by frost. 
By the name of Dittany of Crete, this plant has, 
for two thousand years, been known as a medicinal 
herb. Culpepper, in his London Dispensatory, two 
centuries ago, has a relation of its virtues, which, 
by the bye, is little but a repetition of a portion of 
the opinions of those who lived before him. He 
282 . 
