MEN ; 
This may be propagated by parting of the foots, 
which fpread out on the fide, fo that part of them 
may be cut off every other year ; the beft time for 
doing thi§ is in the fpring, a little before the plants 
begin to (hoot ; thefe fnould be planted in a warm fi- 
tuation and £ have a light foil, for in ftrong land, 
where the wet is detained in winter, the roots are 
apt to rot ; therefore if they are planted clofe to a 
wall expofed to the fouth or weft, their ftalks may 
be fallen ed againft the wall, to prevent their trailing 
upon the ground 5 and in this fituation the plants 
will frequently flower, and by having a little flielter 
in fevere froft, their ftalks may be preferved from 
injury. 
There is little beauty in thefe plants, but yet they are 
preferved in many gardens for the fake of variety, for 
which reafon they are here inferted. 
'MENTHA. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 188. tab. 89. Lin. 
Gen. Plant. 633. [MiV 0 j 3, according to the ancients, 
a goddefs, as alfo according to the poets. The an- 
cients alfo gave it the name of Sweet-ftnelling, and 
where this, word is found, this plant is underftood. 
Mentha is likewife fo called of Mens, Lat. the mind, 
becaufe this plant is faid to ftrengthen the mind.] 
Mint •, in French, Menthe . 
The Characters are, 
It hath a ftp flower of one petal , fitting on a permanent \ 
tubulous empalement of one leaf. which is erect, and cut 
at the brim into five equal figments. ‘The tube of the I 
petal is a lit tie longer than the empalement. The chaps are 
cut into four almoft equal figments , the upper being a 
little larger and indented. It hath four awl-fhaped fta- 
mina , which are erect, funding afunder , the two nearefl 
being longefl ; they are terminated by roundifh fummits , 
and in the bottom of the tube is fituated a four-pointed 
germen , fuppcrting a fender erekt fiyle , crowned by a bifid 
spreading jligma. The germen afterward turns to four 
naked feeds fitting in the empalement. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedlion of 
Linnaeus’s fourteenth clafs, which includes thofe 
plants whofe flowers have two long and two fhorter 
ftamina, and the feeds ripen in the empalement. 
The Species are, 
1. Mentha ( Viridis ) floribus fpicatis, foliis oblongis 
ferratis. Hort. Upfal. 168. Mint with fpiked flowers , 
and oblong flawed leaves. Mentha anguftifolia fpicata. 
C. B. P. 227. Narrow-leaved fpiked Mint , commonly 
called Spear Mint. 
2. Mentha ( Glabra ) floribus fpicatis, foliis longiori- 
bus glabris, fuperne mini me ferratis. Mint with 
fpiked flowers , and longer fmooth leaves , which are very 
' (lightly flawed toward their points. Mentha anguftifo- 
lia fpicata glabra. Rand. Narrow-leaved , fmooth , fpiked 
Mint. _ _ 
3. Mentha ( Candicans ) foliis lanceolatis ferratis, fub- 
tus incanis, floribus fpicatis hirfutifllmis. Mint with I 
fpear-f japed flawed leaves , which are hoary on their un- 
der fide , , and very hairy fpiked flowers. Mentha Syl- 
veftris candicans, odore fativi. Doody. Raii Syn. 
App. Wild Mint of a white colour , fuelling like that 
of the garden. ... I 
4. Mentha ( Sylvefris ) fpicis confertis, foliis ferratis j 
tomentofis feflilibus. Hort. Cliff. 306. Mint with 
[pikes of flowers growing in cluflers , and woolly flawed 
"'leaves fitting clofe to the folks. Mentha fylveftris Ion- 
Acre folio. C. B. P. 227. Wild Mint with a longer leaf . 
5. IvIentha ( Aquatica ) fpicis craffioribus, foliis ovato- 
lanceolatis ferratis fubtus tomentofis petiolatis. Mint 
with thicker /pikes, and oval, fpear-fhaped, flawed leaves, \ 
which are woolly on their under Jide, and have foot- 
' ftalks. Mentaftri aquatici genus hirfutum, fpica la- 
bore. J. B. 3. 222. Hairy Water Mint with a broad- j 
er [pike. _ , j 
6. Mentha ( Piperita ) fpicis craffioribus interruptis, 
foliis lanceolatis acute ferratis. Mint with thicker [pikes 
of flowers, which are interrupted, and fpear-fhaped 
leaves which are Jharply flawed. Mentha fervida ni- 
gricans, piperis fapore. Rand. Hort. Chel. Cat. | 
Blackijh hot Mint with a tafle like Pepper , commonly 
called Pepper Mint . f 
M E N 
7. Mentha ( Crifpa ) floribus fpicatis, foliis cordatis 
dentatis undulatis feflilibus. Hort. Cliff. 306. Mint 
with fpiked flowers , and heartflhaped indented leaves > 
which are waved, and Jit clofe to the ftalks. Mentha 
crifpa Danica five Germanica fpeciola. Mor. Hift. 3. 
p. 367. Danifh or German curled Mint . 
8. Mentha (. Rotundifolia ) fpicis confertis, foliis ova- 
tis rugofis feflilibus. Mint with fpikcs growing together, 
and oval rough leaves fitting clofe to the ftalk. Men- 
taftrum folio rugofo rotundiore fpontaneum, flore 
fpicato, odore gravi. j. B. 3. 217. Wild Mint with 
a rounder rough leaf, and a fpiked flower, having a 
ftrong f 'cent . 
9. Mentha (Rubra) fpicis confertis interruptis, foliis 
oblongo-ovatis acuminatis dentatis feflilibus. Mint 
with interrupted flpikes of flowers growing together, and 
oblong , oval, acute-pointed , indented leaves, fitting clcfi 
to the ftalk . Mentha rotundifolia rubra, aurantii odo- 
re. Mor. Hift. 3. 369. Round-leaved red Mint, /netting 
like an Orange, commonly called Orange Mint. 
10. Mentha ( Chalepenfa ) foliis oblongis dentatis, 
utrinque tomentofis feflilibus, fpicis tenuioribus. 
Mint with oblong indented leaves, which are woolly on 
both fides , fit clofe to the ftalk , and very narrow flpikes 
of flowers. Mentraftum chalepenfe, anguftifolium, 
rare Horens. Boerh. Ind. ait. 1. p. 185. Narrow-leaved 
wild Mint of Aleppo , which rarely flowers. 
11. Mentha (. Paluftris ) floribus capitatis, foliis ovat's 
ferratis petiolatis, ftaminibus corolla longioribus. 
Hort. Cliff. 306. Mint with flowers growing in heads , 
oval flawed leaves having foot -ftalks, and ftamina longer 
than the petals. Mentha rotundifolia paluftris five 
aquatica major. C. B. P. 227. Greater round-leaved 
Water Mint. 
12. Mentha (Nigricans) floribus capitatis, foliis lan- 
ceolatis ferratis fubpetiolatis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 576. 
Mint with flowers growing in heads , and fpear-fhaped 
Jawed leaves with very Jhort fool-ftalks. Mentha fer- 
vida nigricans latifolia. Rand. Broad-leaved blackijh 
Pepper Mint. 
13. Mentha ( Arvenfis ) floribus verticillatis, foliis ova- 
tis acutis ferratis, ftaminibus corolla brevioribus. Lin. 
Sp. Plant. 577. Mint with flowers growing in whorls , 
oval, acute , flawed leaves , and ftamina fhorter than the 
petals. Mentha arvenfis, verticillata hirluta. J. B. 
3. 2. 217. Whorled hairy field Mint , or Calamint of the 
fhops. 
14. Mentha ( Exigua ) floribus verticillatis, foliis ova- 
tis dentatis, ftaminibus corolla longioribus. Mint with 
flowers growing in whorls, oval indented leaves, and fta- 
mina longer than the petals. Mentha aquatica, exigua. 
Trag. Lib. 1. c. 6. Smalleft Water Mint. 
15. Mentha ( Gentilis ) floribus verticillatis, foliis ova- 
tis, marginibus ciliatis, ftaminibus corollam tequan- 
tibus. Mint with whorled flowers, oval leaves whofe bor- 
ders are hairy , and ftamina equalling the petals. Men- 
tha verticillata, rotundiore folio, odore ocymi. Dale. 
Whorled Mint with a rounder leaf, fmelling like Bafll. 
16. Mentha ( Hirfuta ) floribus verticillatis, foliis ova- 
tis ferratis hirfutis, ftaminibus corolla longioribus.. 
Mint with zvhorled flowers, oval , flawed, hairy leaves , and 
ftamina longer than the petals. Mentha aquatica live 
fifymbrium hirfutus. j. B. 3. 2. 224. Water Mint, 
or hairy Sifymbrium. 
1 7. Mentha (Verticillata) floribus verticillatis, foliis 
lanceolatis acutis ferratis, rugofis, ftaminibus corol- 
lam tequantibus. Mint with whorled flowers, fpear- 
fhaped, acute-pointed , flawed, rough leaves , and ftamina 
equalling the petals. Mentha verticillata, longiori 
acuminato folio, odore aromatico. Rand. Hort. Chel. 
Cat. Whorled Mint with a longer acute-pointed leaf, and 
an aromatic feent. 
There are feveral other varieties of this genus, which 
have been found growing naturally in England, of which. 
1 have twelve or more in my own colledion •, but as I 
fufpeft fome of them to be only accidental variations, 
arifing from the different foils and fituations where 
they have been found, I have not enumerated them 
all here ; thofe which are here mentioned, I take to 
be diftinft fpecies, having cultivated them more than 
thirty 
