Melissa officinalis
L. Lemon BalmShrubby, lemon-scented herb to c. 60 cm high; stems with dense short and sparse long hairs, with some sessile and stalked glands. Leaves broadly ovate to rhombic, 1.5–8 cm long, 1–6 cm wide, indumentum as for stems but long hairs rather coarse, apex obtuse or acute, margin crenate-serrate; petiole 1–4 cm long. Flowers 4–12 per pseudowhorl, shortly pedicellate. Calyx 7–9 mm long with indumentum as for stems but short hairs less dense, teeth of abaxial lip c. as long as tube, those of adaxial lip c. 1 mm long; corolla white (yellowish in bud), sometimes ageing to pink, 8–15 mm long, tube exceeding calyx, abaxial lip slightly longer than adaxial, lobes pubescent outside. Mericarps c. 3 mm long. Flowers Nov.–Feb.
GleP, VVP, GipP, OtP, CVU, EGU, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz. Also naturalised SA, NSW, Tas. Native to southern Europe. Commonly cultivated as an aromatic herb, noted as naturalized, mostly near watercourses, at e.g. Gorae West, Creswick, LaTrobe Valley, Wonnangatta River valley, Murrindal etc.
Conn, B.J. (1999). Lamiaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 418–459. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
