PHLO'MIS LUNARIFO'LIA 
HONESTY-LEAVED PHLOMIS. 
Class. Order. 
DIDYNAMIA. GYMNOSPERMIA. 
Natural Order. 
LABIATE. 
Native of 
Heig-ht. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Introduced 
Levant. 
3 feet. 
June, July. 
Perennial. 
in 1821. 
No. 623. 
The word Phlomis, is derived from the Greek 
PHLOGMos, flame, see No. 464. Names which have 
been used by the ancients, are usually adopted in 
preference to inventing new ones, and as the plants 
to which they were originally applied are generally 
unknown, it frequently happens that they are given 
to others which do not bear out their meaning. It 
was, notwithstanding, a constant object of attention 
with Linneus, and has been with other botanists, to 
give old Greek appellations to such plants as most 
nearly correspond with those to which they were 
originally applied. In the present instance such 
attention may be considered to be quite successful, 
since the leaves of the Phlomis lychnitis have been 
used in the south of Europe as wicks for lamps, and 
to such application of the plant originally called 
Phlomis, the adoption of the name is owing. The 
Phlomis lychnitis has long slender downy leaves, 
which are said to be particularly applicable to 
this purpose. 
The Phlomis lunarifolia is a bold and handsome 
plant for the borders, and continues long in flower. 
It demands no peculiar care. 
Loudon’s Ency. of Plants, p. 506. 
