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OF THE GENUS SYMPHYTUM. 51 
species of the genus, attaining a height of 2 m. or more, with the stem 3 em. 
in diameter at the base. From Ж. officinale it is distinguished by its greater 
size, by the stem, in pure-bred plants, not being winged, by the clear blue 
flowers, and by the tuberculated пиће. From $5, asperum, which it greatly 
resembles, it is distinguished by the generally less strongly tubereular-setose 
stem, by the upper leaves, which are sessile and adnexed to the stem by an 
uncinate prolongation of the blade o ‘the leaf, —not subpetiolate, and especially 
by the larger calyx with acute ments This applies to typical 5. pere- 
grinin, but intermediate forms sometimes occur in which the stem is more 
r less tubercular-setose, the calyx larger or smaller with more or less obtuse 
segments, and the corolla varying in size in relation to the calyx. Such 
forms are found naturalized in Britain and Sweden, but not, apparently, 
mixed with the typical plant. Kusnezow gives localities for an intermediate 
form in Transcaucasia, where the areas of the two species approach nearest to 
each other. I have seen no specimen of this. S. peregrinum is native on the 
banks of streams in the province of Talysch, in the extreme south-east of 
Transcaucasia, where it ascends to 8000 ft., and also, according to Kusnezow, 
in Persia and Turcomania. It does not appear to encroach on the area of 
S. asperum, except in the case of the intermediate forms mentioned by Kus- 
nezow. It was cultivated in the botanic gardens of Geneva and Paris between 
1820 and 1835, and has since been introduced into Britain and Sweden and 
other European countries. On account of its similarity to S. asperum, its 
tendency to hybridize with 5. officinale, incomplete deseriptions and the absence 
of authentic specimens, it has been much misunderstood and misnamed. It 
will be well, therefore, with a view to a better understanding of its position 
in relation to the species mentioned, to review its history more fully than was 
done in the Introduction. 
Ledebour, although he does not describe the root, the colour of the flowers 
or the nutlets, either in the ‘Index Seminum? or in the ‘Flora Rossica, 
sufficiently well distinguishes this species from S. asperum. The following 
is taken from Sir J. Hooker's account of t. 6466 in the * Botanical Magazine,’ 
and is presumably a copy of Ledebour’s original deser iption :—* S. peregrinum : 
aule elato ramoso setis subreversis hispido, foliis inferioribus longe petiolatis 
elliptico lanceolatis acuminatis superioribus sessilibus, omnibus molliter 
hispidis ciliatisque, petiolis decurrentibus, calyce fere ad basin 5-partito, 
segmentis triangulari-lanceolatis sensim acuminatis hispidulis, corolla calyce 
triplo v. quadruplo longiore, tubo angulato medio constricto, supra medium 
subeampanulato, ore breviter 5-fido, dentibus latis apicibus recurvis, appen- 
dicibus antheras subsequantibus." The ‘Flora Rossica’ description is as 
follows :— 
* S, peregrinum caule setis subreversis hispido superne ramoso, foliis 
puberulis setisque rarioribus adspersis ciliatis ; inferioribus longe petiolatis 
