ORDER 221. LABIA TiE. T he Mint T r ib e .
This is a large order of important plants. They have a tubular,
irregular corolla, 2-lipped, with the upper lip entire or bifid, and
the under lip 3-lobed and larger, overlapped by the upper, surrounded
by a tubular calyx, 5 or 10-cleft, or 2-lipped, inferior,
persistent; stamens 4, 2 long and 2 shorter, inserted on the
corolla, or with only 2 stamens, occasionally with the rudiments
of the other sometimes present; ovarium 4-lobed, each lobe
having the rudiment of a seed, with 1 style rising from the base
of these lobes, and terminating in a bifid stigma; fruit 1—4
naked seeds or small nuts contained in the permanent calyx which
operates in part like a seed-vessel ; stems 4-cornered, with opposite
leaves, abounding in little sacs of aromatic oil.
The oil, with the bitter principle, makes these plants tonic and
stomachic, and highly grateful and pleasant. . Not one poisonous
plant is found in the order. They are used for many economical
and medicinal purposes. Camphor is one of their common products.
The plants are widely spread over the temperate regions of the
earth, generally in warm, dry situations, not often in marsh-like
places. In Germany, France, and the United States, they form
about one twenty-fourth of the flowering plants ; in some places a
little more. Twenty-four genera and 37 species are found in this
State, besides many cultivated species of other genera. Some
of these, appearing as indigenous, have undoubtedly been introduced
from their native soils in other countries.
L ycopus. L . 2. 1. Water Horehourid.
Named from the Greek for wolf and foot, from the shape of-
some of the leaves.
L . Virginicus, L ., Bugleweed, and L. Europeans, Mx., Water
Horehound, are common in rather moist situations in the fields,
about a foot high, with small whitish flowers in clusters or whorls
about the opposite sides of the square stem.
These have had considerable reputation as a remedy for bleeding
at the lungs, or spitting blood, but it' seems to have greatly
diminished. As the plants have no very strong properties, their
influence was doubtless overestimated. Besides, the decoction
of the plant might relieve and palliate the symptoms, and yet have
little influence in removing the cause of the disease. Perhaps,
too, the application of the plant was in cases not truly coming
under those affections of the lungs, which are so rarely arrested
in their progress, to a fatal termination.
M onarda. L. 2. 1.
Named in honor of N. Monardez, a physician. It includes
several beautiful species, and is a North American genus of a
dozen species, which have been cultivated in England ; 4 species
belong to this State, and are more common in the western part of
it. They grow in light sods, some about woods or hedges, not
very abundant.
M. oblongata. Ait. Found about Boston also ; grows about
2 feet high, bearing whorls of bluish flowers ; in gardens.
<M. didyma. L. The cultivated species, with large whorls of
deep-red or scarlet flowers, and commonly called balm or bee-balm, '
which is a different plant of this order. In general appearance
and odor, the two, however, are much alike.
•M. clinopodia. L. Is 3 feet high, with pale purple flowers ;
often cultivated.
M. hirsuta. Ph. A hairy plant, stem 2 or 3 feet high ; 4 or
5 whorls of flowers on the upper part of the branches ; small
pale-blue flowers.
H edeoma. Pers. 2. 1.
From the Greek for mint; an American genus except one
species ; small plants.
H. pulegioides. Pers. Pennyroyal. A humble, strong-
scented plant, in fields and on dry hillsides ; its decoction had