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M E N T H A Pulegium.
Penny-royal.
jDIDYNAMIA Gymnofpermia.
G en. Char. Cal. 5-cleft. Cor. nearly regular, 4-
cleft; its broadeft .fegment notched. Stamina
eredl:, diftant.
S p e c . C h a r . Flowers whorled. Leaves ovate. Stem
proftrate. Flower-ftalks and calyx downy all
over ; the teeth fringed.
S y n . Mentha Pulegium. Linn. Sp. PL 807. Sm.
FI. Brit. 625. Tr. of L. Soc. v. $. 216. Hudf.
254. With. 525. Hull. 130. Relh. 224.
Sibtb. 182. Woodv. Med. Bot. t. 1 7 1 . Sole
Menth. 5 1 . #.23.
Pulegium. Rail Syn. 235.
P E N N Y -R O Y A L , long celebrated among medical practitioners
for removing obftru&ions of various kinds, ftrengthen-
ing the vifcera, and other ftimulant or tonic powers, is con-
fequently frequent in gardens. In a wild ftate it lefs generally
occurs; but may now and then be found on wet commons,
efpecially on a ftrong foil, flowering in September, the ufual
feafon for Mints.
This is the fmalleft wc have of its genus, and may be known
by that circumftance, its proftrate Items, fmall downy recurved
leaves, which are often quite entire, and numerous denfe
whorls of purplilh (fometimes white) flowers. It is more peculiarly
diftinguilbed from our other Mentha by the Ihort foft
downinefs of its flower-ftalks and calyx. The hairs of the
latter indeed vary fomewhat in length, and its teeth are always
flrongly ciliated.
- The fmell of this fpecies is peculiarly ftrong and pungent,
unlike that of any other Britilh Mint, and more refembling
Thymus Nepeta, FI. Brit,