MELISSA. Linn. Gen. PI. Didynamia G ymnospermia.
Calyx aridus, fupra planiufculus : labio fuperiore fubfaftigiato. Corolla
labium fuperius fuSforoicatum, bifidum, lab. inf. lobo medio cordato.
Raii Syri. Gen. 14. Suffrutices et Herbæ v erticillatæ.
•MELISSA Nepeta pedunculis axillaribus dichotomis folio longioribus, caule adfcendente hirfuto.
Linn. Syjl. Veg. p. 542'. Spec, PI. p. 828.
MELISSA foliis hirfutis ovatis acuminatis, leniter ferratis, petiolis ramofis, folia fuperantibus. Nall.
Hifi. n. 240.
CALAMINTHA Pulegii odore f . Nepeta. Bauh. Pin. 228.'
CALAMINTHA odore Pulegii. Gerard, emac. 687.
CALAMINTHA altera odore Pulegii, foliis maculofis. Parkinf. 36. Raii Syn. p. 243. Field Calamint.
Hudfon FI. Angl. p. 264.
RADIX perennis, fubobliquä, teres, flexuofa, lignofa, §
fufca. - ©
CAULIS lignofus, mox fupra bafin divifus in ramos f
elongatos, pedales ad. bipedales, afcendentes, f
obfolete tetragonos, inferne rufefcentes, pilis a
mollibus, horigontalibus obfïtos. X
FOLIA oppofita, remotiufcula, breve petiolata, vix §
pollicaria, patentiflima, fubcarinata, apice 9
réflexa, late ovata, fere cordata, obtufiufçula, 9
ferrata, margine revöluta, fubundulata, veno- A
fo-rugofa, mollia, utrinque' villofa, pallide |
viridia. " X
FLORES verticillati, pallide coerulei, ante explica- y
tionem flavefcentes, odoris uti tota planta f
■ • - aromatici. 9
VERTICILLI dimidiati, foliis altiores, pauciflori. a
’ BRACTEÆ paucæ,. parvæ, fubulatæ.
PEDUNCULI communes düo, axillares, dichotomo- 9
ramofi, 4-6 flori. Pedicelli inæquales, ere&i. f
CALYX Perianthium monophyllum, tubulatum, 5
perfiftens, quindecimftriatum, pilofiufculum; X
. quinquedentatum, dentibus acuminatis, utrin- I
que hirfutis, inferioribus duobus longioribus, §
anguftioribus. Striæ dentefque fufco-purpu- |
' ralcenteSj fàv 1: ‘ ' ?
COROLLA monopetala, ringeris, calyce longior, pi- a
lofiufcula. T ubus cylindrac-eus, albidus. X
Faux dehifcens, barbata. L abium fuperius <§
■ brevius, ere&iufculum, profunde emarginatum, 0
fubcordatum, dorfo plicatum : inferius trifi- |
dqm, undulatum, lacinia media majori, fig. 2. |
STAMINA: Filament a quatuor, teretia, albida, co- A
, Tolla breviora, duo breviora* A ntheræ |
biloculares, violaceæ. Pollen alburn,^. 3. |
PISTILLUM : G ermen quadrifidum, ball glandula 9
nettarifera fui vente cin&um. Stylus fili- ?
formis, purpurafcens, corollæ longitudine, a
cum ftamimbus fub labio fuperiore corollæ çji
inclinatus. Stigma tenue, bifidum, reflexum, é
M 4- I
p lg 8 | lg | § . • .. 0
PERICARPIUM nullum.1 Calyx immutatus in finu f
j - 1 femina fovens. , f
' SEMINA quatuor, ovata. a
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, afcending, faintly quadrangular, red-
difh towards the bafe, befet with foft, horizontal
hairs.
LEAVES oppofite, rather remote, fitting on Ihort
footftalks, fcarcely an inch long, fpreading,
flightly keel’d, reflexed at the point, of- a
broad ovate, almoft heart-lhaped figure, blunt-
. ifh, ferrated, the margin rolled back, and
' flightly waved, wrinkled, foft, villous on both
fiaes, of a pale green colour.
FLOWERS placed in whorls, pale blue, before they
. expand yellowifh, poflefling' like the whole
plant a pleafant aromatic fmell.
WHORLS growing in halves, longer than the leaves,
few-flowered.
BRACTEAl few, fmall, awl-ftiaped.
COMMON PEDUNCLES two out of the alae o f the
leaves, branched, bearing four or fix flowers.
Partial Peduncles unequal, upright.
CALYX : a monophyllous Peri anthium, tubular,
permanent, flightly hairy, with fifteen ftriae,
and five teeth, which are acuminated, on
both edges hairy, the two inferior ones longer
and narrower. The ftriae and teeth of a brown
purplifh colour, fig. 1.
COROLLA monopetalous, gaping, longer than the calyx,
flightly hairy. T h e 'T ube cylindrical,
whitifh. Mouth of the tube bearded. The
U pper L ip fhorter, almoft upright, deeply
emarginated, nearly obcordate, at the back
folded. The Under L ip trifid, waved, the
middle fegment larger than the others.
STAMINA: four round whitifh Filaments fhor-ter
than the corolla, two o f them fhorter than
the reft. A nther.« bilocular, violet-coloured.
Pollen white, fig.'%.
PISTILLUM: G ermen quadrifid, at the bafe fur-
rounded with a nectariferous, orange-coloured
Glandule. Sty le thread-fhaped, purplifh,
the length of the corolla, turned in alone
with the ftamina, under the upper lip of the
corolla. Stigma flender, bifid, reflexed
■ - fig- 4-
PERICARPIUM none. The calyx unaltered,contains
the feeds.
SEEDS: four, ovate.
i . . r 1 , euiu 16 lic q u c n t in many pares 01 JAcnt Dy road uaes, and in
[uncultivated places; we find it §1 tolerable abundance in the old fand-pits at the back of Charlton church where
fit flowers in July, Auguft, and September.
■ Students are apt to miftake it for the MeliJfaCalamintha, from which it differs effentially in many refpe&s
|which we fhall particularize when that plant comes to be figured. • V
It is worthy of notice on account of its.fragrance; it is moreover a medicinal plant.
h? a ftrr°nS aromatic fmell, approaching to that of Pennyroyal, and a moderately puno-ent
Iherhs infi f 8 S S l f at.of Spearmint, but warmer; m virtue it appears to be nearly fimilar to a mixture of thefe
we“ s ot the flatuient choiic^ - d