Flora Medica

ORIGANUM.An erect, hairy, perennial herbaceous plant, with a stem from 6 inchesto 2 feet in height. Leaves stalked, broad-ovate, obtuse, subserrate,rounded at the base, green on both sides. Spikes oblong, or cylindrical,clustered, in corymbose panicles. Bracts ovate, obtuse, coloured,at least half as long again as the calyx. Bentham. This plant yields whatis called oil of thyme in the shops, a common remedy for the pain oftoothach in carious teeth. It is frequently used, mixed with olive oil,as a stimulating liniment against baldness, in rheumatic complaints, andagainst sprains and bruises.1015. Thymus vulgaris Linn, is fragrant and stimulating ; itsessential oil is administered to remove flatulence.1016. Thymus Serpyllum Linn, and many others have thesame properties.HYSSOPUS.Calyx tubular, 15-nerved, equal or oblique at the orifice, with5 equal teeth ;naked inside. Corolla with the tube as long asthe calyx the ;upper lip flat, erect, emarginate, the lower spreading,trifid, with the middle lobe larger. Stamens 4, protruding,diverging, didynamous. Anthers with linear divaricatingcells.1017. H. officinalis Linn. sp. 796. Jacq. austr. t. 502. Benthamlab. 356. H. angustifolius Bieberst. fl.taur. cauc. ii. 38.iii. 389. H. orientalis Willd. enum. ii. 600 South of Europe,and centre of Asia. (Hyssop.)The whole plant nearly or quite smooth ;or in some varieties villous.Stem woody at bas,e, spreading, very much branched. Branches rodlike,1-2 feet long. Leaves sessile, usually oblong-linear, or lanceolate,sometimes elliptical, sometimes narrower, green on each side, raiherthick, 1-ribbed underneath. Whorls consisting of from 6 to 15 flowers,l-sided, in a terminal spike. Floral leaves like those of the stem butsmaller. Outer bracts lanceolate-linear, acute, scarcely shorter thanthe calyx. Corolla blueish-purple, rarely white. A stimulating stomachic,considered serviceable in hysterical complaints and in relievingflatulence.1818. Cunila Mariana Linn, is, according to Barton, employedbeneficially in slight fevers and colds, with a view to excite perspiration.HEDEOMA.Calyx ovate, tubular, rather gibbous at the bottom on theunder side, with 13 strias ;upper lip 3-toothed, lower bifid ;throat villous. Corolla with the tube as long as the calyx, or alittle longer the upper ; lip erect and flat, the lower spreading,trifid, with nearly equal lobes, or the middle one rather broader,entire or emarginate. Stamens 2, ascending;cells of the anthersdiverging.1019. H. pule^ioides Pers. synops.ii. 131. Benih. lab. 366.491