pogostemon

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A genus of gamopetalous plants of the mint family, order Labiatæ, and tribe Satureineæ, type of subtribe Pogostemoneæ, and characterized by the four perfect stamens, which are protruding, distant, straight, and little unequal, and by the terminal roundish one-celled anthers, five-toothed calyx, four-cleft corolla with one lobe spreading, and the flowers close-crowded in large verticillasters, in an interrupted spike or panicle. There are about 32 species, natives of the East Indies, the Malay archipelago, and Japan. They are herbs or shrubby plants, with opposite leaves, and the numerous small flowers are whitish and purple, or of other colors. See patchouli for the principal species.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. genus of Asiatic shrubs or trees whose leaves yield a fragrant oil