BRITISH PLANTS. 
567 
folia (31. longifolia, Hudson), with lanceolate 
acute leaves; Brittingeri (31. Brittingeri, 
Opitz), with ovate, lanceolate, whitish-green 
leaves ; villosa (31. villosa, Hudson), with ovate 
acute leaves ; nemorosa (31. nemorosa, Wilde- 
now; 31. alopecuroides, Hull; M.rotmidi folia, 
Sole), with broad obtuse elliptic leaves. These 
varieties are not very distinct. The plant has 
a strong peculiar smell. 
Mentha viridis. 
31. viridis, Linnseus. — Spear Mint. Stem 
erect; leaves glabrous, sessile, lanceolate acute, 
serrate ; spikes lax, cylindrical ; bracts awl- 
shaped. A herbaceous perennial, growing two 
or three feet high, with fibrous roots, creeping 
root-stems, or suckers, square acutely-angled 
smooth stems, and acutely lance-shaped leaves, 
unequally serrated, and glandular below ; the 
flowers are in whorls, forming a loose cylin- 
drical spike, purplish lilac, and glabrous, and 
produced in August and September. Found 
in marshy places in many parts of England. 
There is a variety called crispa, with elegantly 
curled leaves. This species is the common 
cultivated Mint ; the leaves have a strong, 
peculiar, and pleasant odour, and a warm, 
somewhat rough and bitter taste. There are 
several preparations kept in shops, of which the 
essential oil, and a distilled arid simple water 
are the most common ; a conserve also is made 
from it. The best preparations are a strong 
infusion, made from the dry leaves, in water 
( which is much superior to one from the green- 
herb), or rather, a tincture or extract prepared 
with rectified spirit; these possess the whole 
v irtues of the plant, while the essential oil 
contains only the aromatic part, the expressed 
juice only the astringency and bitterness, with 
'he mucilaginous substance common to all 
vegetables. (Duncan.) 
31. pratensis, Sole. — Meadow Mint. Stem 
erect ; leaves nearly sessile, ovate-lanceolate, 
acute, serrated; floral leaves similar, the smaller 
ones longer than the whorls ; whorls all dis- 
tant, subglobose ; pedicles glabrous ; calyx bell- 
shaped, with hairy teeth. A herbaceous per- 
ennial, growing two feet high, with fibrous 
roots, widely spreading suckers, obtusely an- 
gular, much branched stems with reflexed 
hairs, spreading leaves on short loot- stalks, 
clothed with short down, and scattered over 
with small glandular dots; the flowers are 
produced in August, in axillary subglobose 
whorls ; the calyx glandular and having hairy 
teeth, the corolla small and pink. Found 
rarely in marshy places in England. This 
plant is the 31. gentilis, Sole; 31. rubra, 
Fries ; and 31. gracilis, Smith. 
31. piperita, Linnaeus. — Pepper Mint. 
Stem erect ; leaves stalked, ovate lanceolate, 
or oblong, upper ones smaller, bracts lanceo- 
late ; spikes lax, short, obtuse, interrupted 
below; calyx tubular, glabrous below, with 
lanceolate awl-shaped teeth. A herbaceous 
perennial, growing two or three feet high, with 
fibrous roots, creeping suckers, and square 
roughish stems ; the leaves are opposite, all 
stalked, strongly serrated, and as well as the 
stems, are nearly glabrous, generally hairy on 
Mentha piperita. 
the nerves beneath ; the flowers are in whorled 
terminal spikes, the whorls more or less dis- 
tant, produced in August and September ; the 
calyx is glandular, and the corolla of a purplish 
lilac colour. Rare in wet places in various 
parts of England, Ireland, and Scotland. It 
is also called 31.glabrtita, Vahl ; 31. balsa men, 
Willdenow; 31. Pimcntiim, Nees ab Esenbeck. 
A variety called syhextris has the leaves ovate 
