MELISSA GRANDIFLORA. 
GREAT-FLOWERED BALM. 
Class. Order. 
DIDYNAMIA. G YMNOSPERMIA. 
Natural Order. 
LABIATE. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Introduced 
S. Europe. 
9 inches. 
July, Aug. 
Perennial. 
in 1640. 
No. 146. 
Melissa, the Greek name of a bee, was originally 
formed from the Greek primitive meli, honey. 
The term has been applied to the present family of 
plants in consequence of the abundance of honey 
produced by its flowers, for which they are greatly 
frequented by the common honey bee. Grandiflora, 
from the Latin, great-flowered. 
The various species of which Linneus constituted 
the genus Melissa, have been subjected to division 
and distribution. Sir J. E. Smith considers part 
of them as belonging to Thymus, whilst others have 
revived the old name, Calamintha, for all the species 
usually comprised under Melissa, excepting the offi- 
cinalis, or common garden Balm, which is left sole 
occupant of their genus Melissa. 
Grew, whose work on the Anatomy of Plants is 
well known, was a close observer of nature ; and in 
noticing the Melissa officinalis, or common Balm, he 
says it is observable that its green leaves, which 
yield a muscadine red to water, give a pure and per- 
fect green to spirit of wine ; which no other plant 
that he had tried would yield. He infused both the 
leaves and flowers of plants in various menstruums, 
