This section is from the book "An Illustrated Flora Of The Northern United States, Canada And The British Possessions Vol3", by Nathaniel Lord Britton, Addison Brown. Also available from Amazon: An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 Volume Set..
[Vleckia Raf. Med. Rep. (II.) 5: 308. 1808.]
[Lophanthus Benth. Bot. Reg. 15: under pl. 1282. 1829. Not Adans. 1763.]
Tall erect perennial herbs, with serrate, mainly ovate, petioled leaves, and yellowish purplish or blue flowers, verticillate-clustered in thick dense or interrupted bracted terminal spikes. Calyx narrowly campanulate, somewhat oblique, slightly 2- lipped, 5-toothed, the teeth of the upper lip somewhat larger than those of the lower, or all about equal. Corolla strongly 2-lipped, the tube as long as the calyx; upper lip erect, 2-lobed; lower lip spreading, 3-lobed, its middle lobe broader than the lateralones and crenulate. Stamens 4, all anther-bearing, didynamous, the upper pair the longer; anthers 2-celled, their sacs nearly parallel. Ovary deeply 4-parted; style 2-cleft at the summit. Nutlets ovoid, smooth. [Greek, many spikes.]
About 8 species, natives of North America. Besides the following, 2 or 3 others occur in the western United States. Type species: Hyssopus nepetoides L.
Glabrous or very nearly so, stout; corolla greenish-yellow.
1. A. nepetoides.
Pubescent, stout; corolla purplish; leaves green both sides.
2. A. scrophulariaefolia.
Glabrous or slightly pubescent, slender; corolla blue; leaves pale beneath.
3. A. anethiodora.
Fig. 3590
Hyssopus nepetoides L. Sp. Pl. 569. 1753. Lophanthus nepetoides Benth. Bot. Reg. under pl. 1282. 1829. Vleckia nepetoides Raf. Fl. Tell. 3: 89. 1836. 'A. nepetoides Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 511. 1891.
Glabrous, or slightly puberulent; stem stout, 2°-s° high, branched, at least above, sharply 4-angled. Leaves ovate or ovate-oblong, acuminate or acute at the apex, rounded, cordate or the upper narrowed at the base, mostly thin, coarsely dentate, 2'-6' long; spikes 3'-18' long, usually very dense; petioles of the lowest leaves often 2' long; bracts ovate, acute or acuminate; calyx-teeth oblong or ovate-oblong, obtuse or subacute, sometimes purplish; corolla greenish yellow, about 4" long, scarcely exceeding the calyx.
In woods and thickets, Quebec and Vermont to South Dakota, south to Georgia, Tennessee, Kansas and Arkansas. July-Sept.
Fig. 3591
Hyssopus scrophulariaefolius Willd. Sp. Pl. 3:
48. 1801. Lophanthus scrophulariaefolius Benth. Bot.
Reg. under pl. 1282. 1829. Vleckia scrophulariaefolia Raf. Fl. Tell. 3: 89.
1836. Agastache scrophulariaefolia Kuntze, Rev.
Gen. Pl. 511. 1891.
Similar to the preceding species, but commonly taller, strong-scented, the obtusely 4-angled stem, the petioles and lower surfaces of the leaves more or less pubescent, sometimes villous. Leaves nearly identical with those of V. nepetoides in size and outline; spike sometimes interrupted, 3'-18' long; bracts broadly ovate, abruptly acuminate; calyx-teeth lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, very acute or sometimes acuminate, whitish or purplish; corolla purplish, 5"-6" long, considerably exceeding the calyx.
In woods and thickets, New Hampshire to Ontario, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Kentucky and Missouri. July-Oct.
Fig. 3592
Hyssopus anethiodorus Nutt. Fras. Cat. 1813. Hyssopus anisatus Nutt. Gen. 2: 27. 1818. Lopanthus anisatus Benth. Bot. Reg. under pl.
1282. 1829. Vleckia anisata Raf. Fl. Tell. 3: 89. 1836. Vleckia anethiodora Greene, Mem. Torr. Club 5: 282. 1894. A. anethiodora Britton in Britt. & Brown, 111.
Fl. 3:85. 1898.
Glabrous, or minutely puberulent; stem rather slender, leafy, usually branched, 2-4° high. Leaves ovate or triangular-ovate, firm, mostly short-petioled, acute or acuminate at the apex, truncate, obtuse or sometimes subcordate at the base, sharply serrate, green above, pale and minutely canes-cent beneath, 2' - 3' long, anise-scented; spikes dense or interrupted, seldom 6' long; bracts broadly ovate, abruptly acuminate; calyx-teeth ovate to lanceolate, acute, purple; corolla blue, 4"-5" long, somewhat exceeding the calyx.
On prairies and plains, Minnesota to Manitoba, Alberta, Illinois, Nebraska and Colorado. July-Sept. Anise-hyssop.
 
Continue to: