By the name of Dittany of Crete, the species of Origanum here figured, has long been known in this country as a medicinal plant; to the purposes of physic it still indeed continues to be applied, as imported in a dried state from the Levant: when bruised, the whole plant gives forth an aromatic fragrance, highly grateful; as an ornamental plant, it has also been long, and is now, very generally cultivated in this country. Turner, whose Herbal was printed in 1568, writes thus concerning it, "I have sene it growynge in England in Maister Riches gardin naturally, but it groweth no where ellis that I know of, saving only in Candy." As at this period no idea was entertained of a greenhouse, the plant must have been cultivated in the open ground, where it would doubtless grow readily, if secured from the severity of the weather, it being more hardy than many plants usually kept in greenhouses. This plant is at all times ornamental, but more particularly so when in flower, in which state it appears during most of the summer and autumnal months. It is usually increased by cuttings, which strike readily. [299] Hermannia Alnifolia. Alder-Leaved Hermannia. _Class and Order._ Monadelphia Pentandria. _Generic Character._ Pentagyna. _Caps._ 5-locularis. _Petala_ basi semitubulata, obliqua. _Specific Character and Synonyms._ HERMANNIA _alnifolia_ foliis cuneiformibus lineatis plicatis crenato-emarginatis. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14._ _Murr. p. 610._ _Ait. Kew. v. 2. p. 412._ ARBUSCULA africana tricapsularis ononidis vernae singulari folio. _Pluk. Mant. 14. t. 239. f. 1._ [Illustration: N^o. 299] _Hermannia_ is a genus of plants named in honour of Dr. Paul Herman, a Dutch Botanist of great celebrity, author of the _Paradisus Batavus_, and other valuable works: twenty-six species are enumerated in the 13th edition of the _Syst. Naturae_ of Linnaeus by Prof. Gmelin, and eight in the _Hortus Kewensis_ of Mr. Aiton; most of those in the latter work are cultivated in the nurseries near town: they form a set of the more hardy greenhouse plants, grow readily, and flower freely; their blossoms are for the most part yellow, and have a considerable affinity with those of the _Mahernia_. The present species flowers very early in the spring, from February to May, producing a great profusion of bloom during that period; is a native of the Cape, and was cultivated by Mr. Miller, in 1728. It rarely ripens its seeds with us, but is readily increased by cuttings. The nurserymen near town regard this plant as the _grossularifolia_ of Linnaeus, calling another, equally common species, with longer and narrower leaves, _alnifolia_, and which does not appear to be described by Linnaeus or mentioned by Mr. Aiton; our plant accords exactly with the Linnaean description of _alnifolia_, and there is we think no doubt of its being the _alnifolia_ of the _Hortus Kewensis_, and Mr. Miller's _Dictionary_. [300]