MELIS'SA NE'PETA. 
FIELD BALM. 
Class. Order. 
DIDYNAMIA. GYMNOSPERMIA. 
Natural Order. 
LABIATiE. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
In trod uced 
Mt. Athos. 
1 foot. 
Jnly, Oct. 
Perennial. 
in 1825? 
No. 662. 
The Greek word MELissA,a bee, has been applied 
as the name for a plant, on account of its flowers 
yielding much honey. The word is a derivative from 
MELT, honey. Nepeta is a town of Florence. This 
plant with others of its allies has undergone trans- 
fers from genus to genus, being at one time consid- 
ered a Thymus, at another Calamintha, at others, 
Melissa ; it may, however, now be hoped that by 
the scientific research of Mr. Bentham, in his work 
on the Labiatae, the genera of this order are settled, 
at least for many years to come. 
This variety of Melissa Nepeta is known in the 
gardens as Melissa Atheos. It has a neat and rather 
bushy growth, and produces an abundance of its 
delicate flowers. Its dwarf habit makes it a suita- 
able ornament for rock-work. 
It proves to be perfectly hardy with us, and 
will grow in any common garden soil. It may be 
increased by division of its roots, in spring or au- 
tumn ; or, as the plant ripens seeds in our gardens, 
it may be propagated from them with facility, and 
with some advantage as respects the handsome- 
ness of the plants. 
Don’s Syst. Bot. v. 4, 781. 
O 
