Melissa Nepeta. Field Calamint. 
MELISSA. Linn. Gen. PI. Didynamia Gymnospermia. 
Calyx aridus, fupra planiufculus : labio fuperiore fubfaftigiato. Corolla 
labium fuperius fubfornicatum, bifidum, lab. inf. lobo medio cordato. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 14. Suffrutices et Herb-e verticillaTzE. 
MELISSA Nepeta pedunculis axillaribus dichotomis folio longioribus, caule adfcendente hirfuto. 
Linn. Syfi. Vcg. p. 542. Spec. PI. p. 828. 
MELISSA foliis hirfutis ovatis acuminatis, leniter ferratis, petiolis ramofis, folia fuperantibus. Hali. 
Hift. n. 240. 
CALAMINTHA Pulegii odore f. Nepeta. Bauh. Pin. 228. 
CALAMINTHA odore Pulegii. Gerard, emac. 687. 
CALAMINTHA altera odore Pulegii, foliis maculofis. Parkin/. 3 6. Rail Syn. />. 243. Field Calamint. 
Hudfon FI. Angi. p. 264. 
RADIX perennis, fubobliqua, teres, flexuofa, lignofa, 
fufca. | 
CAULIS lignofus, mox fupra bafin divifus in ramos 
elongatos, pedales ad bipedales, afcendentes, * 
obfoiete tetragonos, inferne rufefcentes, pilis k 
mollibus, horizontalibus obfitos. q 
FOLIA oppofita, remotiufcula, breve petiolata, vix ( 
pollicaria, patentilfima, fubcarinata, apice 5 
reflexa, late ovata, fere cordata, obtufiufcula, 3 
ferrata, margine revoluta, fubundulata, veno- ) 
fo-rugofa, mollia, utrinque villofa, pallide ( 
viridia. ( 
FLORES verticillati, pallide ccerulei, ante explica- | 
tionem flavefcentes, odoris uti tota planta • 
aromatici. { 
VERTICILLI dimidiati, foliis altiores, pauciflori. ( 
BRACTEAE paucse, parvas, fubulatas. 
PEDUNCULI communes duo, axillares, dichotomo- j 
ramofi, 4-6 flori. Pedicelli inaequales, ere&i. j 
CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, tubulatum, , 
perfiftens, quindecimftriatum, pilofiufculum, 
quinquedentatum, dentibus acuminatis, utrin- * 1 
que hirfutis, inferioribus duobus longioribus, 
anguftioribus. Striae dentefque fufeo-purpu- 
ralcentes,^. 1. 
COROLLA monopetala, ringens, calyce longior, pi- 
lofiufcula. Tubus cylindraceus, albidus. 
Faux dehifcens, barbata. Labium fuperius 
1 brevius, ere&iufculum, profunde emarginatum, 
fubcordatum, dorfo plicatum : inferius trifi- 
dum, undulatum, lacinia media majori, fig. 2. 
STAMINA: Filamenta quatuor, teretia, albida, co- 
rolla breviora, duo breviora. Anthers 
biloculares, violaceae. Pollen album, fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen quadrifidum, bafi glandula 
neftarifera fulvente cinflum. Stylus fili- 
formis, purpurafeens, corollae longitudine, 
cum ltaminibus fub labio fuperiore corollae 
inclinatus. Stigma tenue, bifidum, reflexum, 
M- 4 - 
PERICARPIUM nullum. Calyx immutatus in finu 
. femina fovens. 
SEMINA quatuor, ovata. 
ROOT perennial, fomewhat oblique, crooked, round, 
woody, brown. 
STALK woody, divided juft above the bafe into 
branches, which are from one to two feet in 
length, afeending, faintly quadrangular, red- 
didi towards the bafe, befet with foft, hori- 
, zontal hairs. 
LEAVES oppofite, rather remote, fitting on (hort 
footftalks, fcarcely an inch long, fpreading, 
{lightly keel’d, reflexed at the point, of a 
broad ovate, almoft heart-lhaped figure, blunt- 
ifh, ferrated, the margin rolled back, and 
{lightly waved, wrinkled, foft, villous on both 
fides, of a pale green colour. 
FLOWERS placed in whorls, pale blue, before they 
expand yellowifh, pofleffing like the whole 
plant a pleafant aromatic fmell. 
WHORLS growing in halves, longer than the leaves, 
few-flowered. 
BRACTE.E, few, fmall, awl-fhaped. 
COMMON PEDUNCLES two out of the alas of the 
leaves, branched, bearing four or fix flowers. 
Partial Peduncles unequal, upright. 
CALYX: a monophyllous Perianthium, tubular, 
permanent, (lightly hairy, with fifteen ftrias, 
and five teeth, which are acuminated, on 
both edges hairy, the two inferior ones longer 
and narrower. The (trias and teeth of a brown 
purplifh colour, fig. 1. 
COROLLA monopetalous, gaping, longer than the ca- 
lyx, (lightly hairy. The Tube cylindrical, 
whitilh. Mouth of the tube bearded. The 
Upper Lip (horter, almoft upright, deeply 
emarginated, nearly obcordate, at the back 
folded. The Under Lip trifid, waved, the 
middle fegment larger than the others. 
STAMINA: four round whitilh Filaments fhorter 
than the corolla, two of them (horter than 
the reft. Anthers bilocular, violet-co- 
loured.' Pollen white, fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen quadrifid, at the, bafe fur- 
rounded with a nectariferous, orange-coloured 
Glandule. Style thread-ftiaped, purplifh, 
the length of the corolla, turned : n along 
with the (lamina, under the upper lip of the 
corolla. Stigma (lender, bifid, reflexed, 
fig. 4. 
PERICARPIUM none. The calyx unaltered contains 
the feeds. 
SEEDS : four, ovate. 
This fpecies of Meliffa affefts dry, chalky foils, and is frequent in many parts of Kent fay road fides, and in 
uncultivated places ; we find it in tolerable abundance in the old fand-ptts at the back of Chailton church, where 
it flowers in July, Auguft, and September. 
Students are apt to miftake it for the Melijfa Cahmintba, from which it differs effentially in many refpefts, 
which we fhall particularize when that plant comes to be figured. 
It is worthy of notice on account of its fragrance ; it is moreover a medicinal plant. 
The whole herb has a ftrong aromatic fmell, approaching to that of Pennyroyal, and a moderately pungent 
ta fte fomewhat like that of Spearmint, but warmer, in virtue Jt appears to be nearly fimilar to a mixture ol thefe 
herbs ; infufions of the leaves are drank as tea in weaknelfes ol the ftomach, flatulent cholics, and uterine 
obftru’aions. Lewis’s Mat. Med. id AH. f. 172. 
