M E L 
the fame’ manner as the lobes ; they are of a gray co- 
lour, The flowers are produced in pretty long 
fpikes, which arife from between the leaves toward 
the top of the (talks ; they are of a brown or chocolate 
colour, and are formed like the lip flowers, but have 
four narrow petals, in which it differs from the other 
plants of this clafs with lip flowers ; thefe are fuc- 
ceeded by oblong four-cornered capfules, divided by 
a central partition into four cells, each containing one 
roundifh feed ; this plant flowers in June, but unlefs 
the feafon' proves warm, they are not fucceeded by 
feeds in England. 
This plant was formerly preferved in green-houfes as 
a tender exotic, but if planted in a dry foil and a 
warm fituation, it will endure the cold of our ordi- 
nary winters very well; and if in a fevere froft the 
tops of them fliQuld be deftroyed, yet the roots will 
abide, and put forth again the fucceeding fpring, fo 
that there is no great danger of lofing it ; and the 
plants which grow in the open air always flower much 
better than thofe which are preferved in the green- 
houfe, as they are lefs drawn, which always is hurt- 
ful to the flow r ering of plants ; for it rarely happens 
that any of the plants of this fort, which are placed 
in the green-houfe do flower, for they are apt to 
draw up tall and weak, which prevents their flower- 
ing, and thofe branches which produce flowers, ge- 
nerally decay foon after ; fo that although the Hems 
become woody, yet they are not of long duration, 
but the roots fpread where they have room, and fend 
out a great number of (talks annually ; and when the 
plants grow in the full ground, mod of thofe (talks 
which are not injured by froft, feldom fail to flower 
the fpring following, fo that the fureft method to have 
them (lower, is to cover the (hoots of thefe plants in 
frofty weather with Reeds or mats, to prevent their 
tops being killed by the cold; therefore it is the beft 
way to plant them dole to a good afpeded wall, and 
on a dry rubbilh, in which they will not (hoot fo vi- 
gorous as in good ground, fo will be lefs fucculent, 
and therefore not fo liable to fuffer by cold ; but if 
the winter proves fevere, the (talks may be fattened 
up to the wall, and covered to proted them ; for 
want of this care the (talks are frequently killed to 
the ground in winter, fo that there is feldom any 
flowers produced. 
This plant may be propagated by taking off its fuck- 
ers or fide (hoots, any time from March to Septem- 
ber, obferving to chufefuchas are furnifhed with fibres, 
and after they are planted and taken root, they will 
require no farther care but to keep them clear from 
weeds : they may be alfo propagated by planting 
cuttings, during any of the fummer months, which, 
if watered and (haded, will take root very well, and 
may afterwards be tranfplanted where they are de- 
figned to remain. 
The feconcl fort is alfo a native of the country about 
the Gape of Good Hope, from whence it was brought 
to Europe ; this riles with round, foft, ligneous (talks 
five or fix feet high, which fend out two or three 
branches from their fide, garnifhed with winged 
leaves like thofe of the former fort, but not half fo 
large ; thefe have two diftind ftipulte adhering to 
their foot-ftalks ; they are of a deep green on their 
upper fide, and whitifhon their under. The flowers 
come out from the fide of the (talks in loofe hanging 
panicles, each fuftaining fix or eight flowers, which 
are (haped like thofe of the firft fort, but fmaller ; 
the lower part of the petals are green, their upper 
part are of a Saffron colour, and on the outfide, in the 
(welling part of the petals, is a blufii of fine red; 
thefe have two long and two (hotter (tamina, which 
are terminated by yellow fummits. The flowers are 
fucceeded by four-cornered feed-veffels, which are 
fhortef than thofe of the firft fort, in which are lodged 
four oval feeds in feparate apartments ; this flowers 
at the fame feafon with the former. 
This fort does not fpread its roots as the firft, fo is 
not propagated with fo great facility, but cuttings of 
this fort planted upon an old hot-bed, whofe heat is 
MEL 
over, and covered clofe with bell or hand-glaffes to 
exclude the air, will take root pretty freely; thefe 
may be planted in pots, and dickered in the winter 
under a common frame for a year or two till they 
have obtained ftrength, then they may be planted in 
a warm border, and treated in the fame way -as the 
former fort, with which management I have feen them 
flower much better than any of thofe which have been 
treated more tenderly, and thefe plants have perfeded 
their feeds in good ieafons. 
MELICOCCA. See Sapindus. 
ME LI LOTUS. See Trigonella. 
MELISSA. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 193. tab. 91. Lin. 
Gen. Plant. 647. [lo called of honey, becaufe 
the bees procure it from this plant; it is alio called 
Meliffophyllon, fxi, and ^Jaam-, a leaf, q. d. Ho- 
ney Leaf.] Baum. 
The Characters are. 
The empalement of the fewer is of the open , bell-fhape, 
angular kind , freaked with one leaf whofe brim is form- 
ed into two lips ; the upper lip is indented in three parts , 
which are fpread open and reflexed ; the under lip is 
fhort , acute, and indented in two parts. The flower is 
of the lip kind , having a cylindrical tube ; the chaps are 
gaping, the upper lip is fhort , erect, forked , and round- 
ifh, indented at the end. The under lip is trifid , the mid- 
dle part being the largefl. It hath four awlfioaped fia- 
mim , two of which are as long as the petal , but the 
other are but half fo long ; they are terminated by j mall 
fummits , which join by pairs. It hath a quadrifid ger- 
rnen, fupporting a fender fiyle the length of the petal , 
which , with the jtamina , are fituated under the upper lip , 
and is crowned by a fender , bifid, reflexed fligma. The 
germen afterward turns to four naked feeds, fitting in the 
empalement. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedion of 
Linnaeus’s fourteenth clafs, which includes the plants 
whofe flowers have two long and two fhort (lamina, 
whofe feeds are naked. 
The Species are, 
1. Melissa ( Officinalis ) racemis axillaribus verticillatis, 
pedicellis fimplicibus. Lin. Sp. Plant. 592. Baum 
with whorled bunches of flowers proceeding from the fides 
of the fialks , having fingle foot-folks. Meliffa horten- 
fis. C. B. P. 229. Garden Baum , or common Baum. 
2. Melissa {Romano) floribus verticillatis fdfiiibus, 
foliis hirfutis. Baum with whorls of flowers fitting clofe 
to the folks , and hairy leaves. -Meliffa Romana, mol- 
liter hirfuta & graveolens. H. R. Par. Reman Baum 
with foft hairy leaves, and a firong fmell. 
3. Melissa {Grandiflora) pedunculis axillaribus dicho- 
tomis longitudine florum. Lin. Sp. Plant. 592. Baum 
with foot-falks arifing from the wings of the folk, which 
are divided in forks , and are the length of the flowers. 
Calamintha magno (lore. C. B. P. 229. Calaminth with 
a large flower. 
4. Melissa {Calamintha) peduncu'is axillaribus dicho- 
tomis longitudine foliorum. Lin. Sp. Plant. 593. 
Baum with foot-falks arifing from the wings of the ft alk % 
which are forked, and as long as the leaves. Calamin- 
tha vulgaris & officinarum Germania;. C. B. P. 228. 
Common officinal Calamini of the Germans. 
5. Melissa (. Nepeta ) pedunculis axillaribus dichotomic 
folio longioribus, caule decumbente. Lin. Sp, Plant. 
593. Baum with foot-falks arifing from the wings of the 
fialk , which are forked, and longer than the leaves, with 
a declining fialk. Calamintha pulegii odore fiye ne- 
peta. C. B. P. 228. Calamint with the J cent of Penny. 
Royal, or Cat Mint. 
6 . Melissa {Cretica) racemis terminalihus, pedunculis 
folitariis breviffimis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 593. Baum with 
fpikes of flowers terminating the fialks, growing upon ve- 
ry fhort fingle foot-falks. Calamintha incana ocy- 
mi foliis. C. B. P. 228. Hoary Calamint with Bafil 
leaves. 
7. Melissa ( Majoranifolia ) foliis ovatis glabris, floribus 
verticillatis feffilibus, pedunculis folitariis breviffimis. 
Baum with oval fmooth leaves, and flowers growing. in 
whorls , fitting clofe to the branches , which have very 
fhort finale fialks . Calamintha Romana, majoranas 
folio. 
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