CALAMINTHA, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order Lamiacew, and the tribe Satureiinea. It has the apices of the stamens connivent under the upper lip of the corolla ; the anther-cells nt length divergent, connective, subtriangular ; the upper lip of the corolla straight, nearly flat, the lower patent trifid; the calyx 2-lipped and 10-13-nerved, throat hairy ; the flowers whorled, axillary or spiked. This genus was constituted by Moench, and contains several species which were placed under Thymus and Clinopodium by Smith, in Melissa by Bentham, and one in Aciaos by Hooker. Koch in his ' Flora Germanica' follows 31oench, and also Babington in his ' Manual of British Botany.' There are four species of this genus, common and well-known plants in Great Britain.
C. Nepeta, Lesser Calamint, Cat-Mint, Balm or Field-Balm, has leaves ovate, obtuse, serrated, pale beneath, shortly stalked ; calyx subcampanulate, obscurely 2-lipped, teeth all nearly the same shape, the upper ones slightly shorter ; nuts roundish, almost. smooth ; cymes dichotomous, many-flowered. This is not n common plant, and is found ou dry banks. It has a strong aromatic smell not unlike that of penuy-royal, vied a pungent taste. Cats are said to be fond of the smell, and hence its name cat-mint. An iufusion of the leaves is recommended as a tonic and stimulant in flatulence and colic. This and the other species possess the volatile oil which is found in the whole order, and hence they all have a more or less powerful medicinal action.
C. egiciaa/4 (Thymus Calainintha, Smith ; Melissa Calamintha, Bentham), Mountain-Balm, Common Calamint, has broadly ovate, rather acute, slightly serrated leaves, green on both sides, seated on longish stalks; the calyx tubular, ventricose in front, distinctly 2-lipped, teeth of the upper lip triangular, of the lower twice as long, and subulate ; nuts roundish, covered with impressed dots; cymes scarcely dichotomous, few-flowered.
C. Acinos (Acinos rulgaris, Persoon ; Acinos thymoides, Moeuch), Basil-Balm, or Basil-Thyme, has ovate subserrate acute leaves with revolute margins ; tubular gibbous calyx distinctly 2-lipped, the upper lip with short triangular teeth, the lower one with subulate teeth, all converging in fruit. It is found in dry gravelly places, and in corn-fields throughout Europe.
C. Clinopodium (Clinopodiunt rtdgare, Smith), Wild Basil, Bed-Foot, has ovate obtuse leaves, rounded below, slightly crenate ; whorls equal, many-flowered; bracts setaccous, as long as the calyx. Common in dry bushy places, in Europe ; it is also found iu America, but has probably been introduced there.
(Babington, Manual ; Bentham, Labiatarum Genera et Species.)