A three-week, six-county exploration of Monarda fistulosa habitat.

Abstract

Monarda fistulosa L., a member of the Lamiaceae family, is commonly known as wild bergamot. The genus name, Monarda, honors the Spanish physician and botanist Nicolas Monardes, who described the medicinal uses of many plants in the 16th century. The specific name, fistulosa, means hollow or reed-like, referrring to the hollow stem. The common name, bergamot, comes from the plant's fragrance, which apparently reminded early collectors of an Italian hybrid, the bergamot orange.