> 
Our plant was raised from seed transmitted in 1821 by 
Mr. George Don from Sierra Leone to the Horticultural 
Society, in whose garden at Chiswick we were favoured 
with an opportunity of describing,it. \-Mr. Don informs us, 
that it is in request at Sierra Leone for medicinal purposes, 
and that it is there called the Fever Plant. 
Speaking of the genus Ocymum, Mr. Brown remarks 
(prod..506), “ that the whole genus requires to be entirely 
revised, in order to ascertain what ‘species are furnished 
with toothed filaments; and how far that character, which 
at present is of doubtful value, is of real importance in 
fixing limits to the genus.” 
An under-shrub 3 feet high, naked of foliage, and haying 
ina high degree the smell of common Balm. Stem 4-cor- 
nered, hairy, rounded at the angles, which are destitute of 
pubescence. Leaves opposite, ovate-lanceolate, drawn_ to 
a point, blunt, crenate, nearly smooth, with a long stalk ; 
the nerves hairy; on the under side reticulated and covered 
with dots. Branches terminal, villous. Flowers pale green, 
dispersed in. 6-flowered whorls. Bractee to each whorl — 
two, thin, ovate-thombshaped, »pale, deciduous. Flower- 
stalks ‘short, slender, downy. Calyx campanulate, hairy, 
dotted; the upper division broad, ovate, the lateral seg- 
ments subulate, spreading, the lower division with two 
teeth, and directed upwards. Corolla nearly of the same 
length with the calyx, pubescent, 5-toothed; the four up- 
per teeth being nearly of equal size and turned upwards ; 
the lip larger than they, ovate, concave, purple, veined, 
with the edges ‘turned back. Stamens bent downwards, the ~ 
two at the back being inserted above the bottom of the 
tube, with a short villous spur below their middle; the two 
in front inserted into the base of the labellum, smooth and 
without aspur. Anthers yellow, smooth, with the filaments 
inserted into their back; their cells running together at 
their point. Pollen round. Ovaries 4, immersed in a ~ 
fleshy discus. Style filiform. S¢igma bifid. 
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