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fituated under the upper Up , crowned by a bifid fiigma. 
The germen afterward becomes fo many oval feeds fitting 
in the empalement. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedion 
of Linnaeus’s fourteenth clafs, intitled Didynamia 
Gy’mnofpermia, which contains thofe plants whofe 
flowers have two long and two fhort ftamina, anc 
are fucceeded by naked feeds in the empalement. 
The Species are, 
1. Hyssopus ( Officinalis ) fpicis fecundis. Hort. Cliff, 
3,04. Hyffop with fruitful fpikes. Hyffopus officina- 
rum coerulea feu fpicata. C. B. P. 217. Hyffop of the 
J hops with blue fpikes , or the common Hyffop. 
2. Hyssopus {Rubra) fpicis brevioribus, verticillis 
comp aft is. Hyffop with fhort er fpikes , and whorls more 
compaSt. Hyffopus rubro flore. C. B. P. 2.17. Hyffop 
with a red ficwer. 
3. Hyssopus ( Altiffimis ) fpicis longiffimis verticillis dif- 
tantibus. Hyffop with the longejl fpikes , and whorls at a 
greater difiance. Hyffopus verticillis florum rario- 
ribus. Houft. Hyffop with the whorls of flowers thinly 
ranged. 
4. Hyssopus ( Nepetoides ) caule acuto quadrangulo. 
Hort. Upfal. 163. Hyffop with an acute fquare ftalk. 
Sideritis Canadenfis altiffima, fcrophulariae folio, flore 
flavefcente. Tourn. Inft. 192. Tallefi Canada Ironw or t, 
with a Figwort leaf and a yellowifh flower. 
5. PIyssopus ( Lophanthus ) corollis fubrefupinatis fta- 
minibus corolla brevioribus. Hort. Upfal. 162. Hyf- 
fop with tranfverfe petals , and the lower ftamina fhorter 
than the petal. Nepeta floribus obliquis. Dill. Cat- 
mint with oblique flowers. 
The firft fort, which is the only one cultivated for 
ufe, grows a foot and a half high. The ftalks are 
firft fquare, but afterward become round ; their lower 
parts are garnifhed with fmall fpear-fhaped leaves 
placed oppofite, without foot-ftalks, and feven or eight 
very narrow ereft leaves (or braftasa) rifing from the 
fame joint. The upper part of the ftalk is garnifhed 
with whorls of flowers, the lower ones Handing half an 
inch apart, but the upper are alrnoft joined together. 
The upper lip of the flower is indented at the top, 
and the under is cut into three parts, the middle being 
deeply indented at the point. There are four ftamina 
in each flower, which fpread at a diftance from each 
other j the two upper are the fhorteft, which are fitu- 
ated on each fide the upper lip ; the two longer ftand 
clofe to the two fide fegments, and are terminated by 
twin fummits. At the bottom of the tube are fitu- 
ated four naked germen, fupporting a flender ftyle, 
fitting clofe to the upper lip, crowned by a bifid 
ftigma •, thefe germen afterward become four oblong 
black feeds, fitting in the empalement. The whole 
plant has a ftrong aromatic fcent. It flowers in July 
and Auguft, and the feeds ripen in September, but 
the roots will abide many years j it grows naturally 
in the Levant. There is a variety of this with white 
flowers, but doth not differ from the blue in any 
other particular. 
The fecond fort doth not grow fo tall as the firft ; 
the ftalks branch more, and the fpikes of flowers are 
much fhorter than thofe of the firft. The whorls are 
clofer together, and have long narrow leaves fituated 
under each. The flowers are of a fine red colour, and 
appear at the fame time with the former. This fort 
is not quite fo hardy as the common, for in 1739 the 
plants were all deftroyed by the cold ; this is certainly 
a diftinft fpecies, for I cultivated it from feeds twenty 
years, and never obierved it to vary. 
The third fort grows much taller than either of the 
other. The leaves are narrower, the whorls of 
flowers are farther afunder, the fpikes of flowers are 
much longer, the flowers are larger, and of a deeper 
blue than thofe of the common fort, and the plant 
hath not fo ftrong an odour. It flowers at the fame 
time as the firft. 
Thefe three forts of Hyffop are propagated either by 
feeds or cuttings ; if by the feeds, they muff be fown 
in March, upon a bed of light fandy foil ; and when 
the plants come up, they ftiould be tranfplanted out 
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at* ' " 
. to the places where they are to remain, placing them 
at leaff a foot afunder each way j .but If they are de- 
' figned to abide In thofe places for a long time, two 
feet diftance will be fmall enough, for they grow 
pretty large, efpecially if they are not frequently cut, 
to keep them within compafs j they thrive belt upon 
a poor dry foil, in which fituation they will endure 
the cold of our climate better than ■ when they are 
planted on a richer foil. If you would propagate 
them by cuttings, they ftiould be planted in April or 
May, in a border where they may be defended from 
the violent heat of the fun ; and being frequently wa- 
tered, they will take root in about two months •, af- 
ter which, they may be tranfplanted where they are 
to continue, managing them as was before directed 
for' the feedling plants. 
The firft fort was formerly more cultivated than at 
prefent in England, that being the fort commonly 
ufed in medicine. The other fpecies are preferved in 
curious gardens for their variety, but they are feldom 
cultivated for ufe. 
They are very hardy plants, which will endure the 
cold of our winters in the open air, provided they are 
planted in a dry undunged foil ; for when they are 
planted in a rich foil, they grow very luxuriant in, 
fummer, and are lefs able to refill the cold in win- 
ter ; fo that when any of thefe plants grow out of 
the joints of old walls, (as they frequently do) they 
will refill the moft fevere froft, and will be much 
more aromatic than thofe which grow in a rich foil. 
The fourth fort grows naturally in North America ; 
this hath a perennial root and an annual ftalk, which 
decays in autumn. It rifes with an upright fquare 
ftalk near four feet high, garnifhed with oblique 
heart-fliaped leaves, which are fawed on their edges, 
and end in acute points ; they are placed oppo- 
fite on fhort foot-ftalks. The flowers grow in 
clofe thick fpikes four or five inches long, at the 
top of the ftalks. The upper lip is divided into 
two roundifh fegments, the lower one is divided into 
three, the two fide fegments Handing ered, and the 
middle one is reflexed, and acutely fawed at the end. 
The two upper ftamina, which are fituated on each 
fide the upper lip are the longeft, the other two fhorter 
join the two fide fegments of the lower lip they are 
terminated by fmall fummits. The germen are fitu- 
ated at the bottom of the tube, having a flender ftyle 
under the upper lip, crowned by a bifid fiigma. The 
germen afterward becomes four oblong brown feeds, 
fitting in the tubulous empalement. This fort flowers 
in July, and the feeds ripen in September. 
There is a variety of this fort with purple ftalks and 
purplifh flowers. The leaves ftand upon longer 
foot-ftalks, and the fpikes of flowers are thicker, but 
I cannot fay if it is a diftind fpecies or only a va- 
riety. It grows naturally in the fame country with 
the other. It is titled, Betonica maxima, (folio ferophu- 
laris, floribus incarnatis, by Herman. Par. Bat. 106. 
The fifth fort grows naturally in Siberia. The feeds 
of this were fent me from the Imperial garden at Pe- 
terfburgh, by the title of Lophanthus, and afterward 
I received fome from Holland, which were titled, 
Nepeta floribus obliquis. Dill. This is a perennial 
plant with a ftrong fibrous root, fending out many 
fquare ftalks, which divide into fmaller branches, 
garnifhed with oblong leaves, crenated on their edges, 
fet on by pairs. The flowers are produced at each 
joint in fmall clufters, two foot-ftalks arifing from 
the bafe of the leaves, about half an inch long, both 
inclining to one fide of the ftalk •, each of thefe 
foot-ftalks divide again into two fmaller, and thefe 
do each fupport a duller of four or five flowers, 
which have fwelling tubulous empalements, cut into 
five acute fegments at the top. The tube of the pe- 
tal is longer than the empalement. The lips of the 
flower are oblique to It, being fituated horizontally. 
The two upper ftamina and the ftyle ftand out be- 
yond the petal, but the other are fhorter. The 
flowers are bine, and appear in June and July, and the 
feeds ripen in September. 
Both 
I 
