BORRAGINACEAE 997 



2. Lappula Texkna (Scheele) Britton. Annual uv biennial, hispid. Stems 1-4 dm. 

 tall, usually branched above and sometimes at the base : leaves mostly erect or ascending ; 

 blades linear or spatulate-linear, or the basal sometimes spatulate, obtuse : flowers nearly 

 sessile, or short-pedicelled : nutlets with spines in one row on the margins, the bases of the 

 spines of 2 or 3 of the nutlets confluent and forming a cup. 



In dry soil. Colorado to Texas and Arizona. 



3. Lappula Virginiana (L ) Greene. Annual or biennial, somewhat hirsute or 

 finely pubescent. Stems 3-9 dm. tall, branched above ; branches spreading : leaves alter- 

 nate ; blades thin, oblong, elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, acute or short-acuminate, undu- 

 late, the lower 1-2 dm. long, petioled, the upper 3-10 cm. long, sessile or nearly so: racemes 

 elongating, interrupted : pedicels 2-6 nnn. long : calyx-lobes lanceolate to oblong-lanceo- 

 late, 2-3 mm. long : corolla white or pale blue, 2-3 mm. Iiroad : fruit subglobose, about 4 

 mm. in iliameter : nutlets papillose and spiny. 



In woods and thickets, New Brunswick to Minnesota, south to Georgia, Louisiana and Nebraska. 



3. CRYPTANTHB Lehm. 

 Annual caulescent herbs, with pubescent foliage. Leaves alternate : blades narrow, 

 entire. Flowers in narrow scorpioid spikes or racemes. Calyx-lobes 5, erect, usually con- 

 verging at maturity. Corolla white, funnelform, the tube usually closed by 5 scales in the 

 throat : lobes 5, imbricated. Stamens 5, included : filaments short. Ovary of 4 nearly 

 distinct carpels. Fruit of 4 nutlets with rounded backs and obtuse, acute or winged margins, 

 laterally attached to the receptacle. 



1. Cryptanthe Texana (A. DC.) Greene. Stems' 2-3 dm. tall, hispid like the rest 

 of the foliage, loosely branching. Leaves few ; blades oblong to oblong-spatulate, or 

 broadly linear above, 1-2.5 cm. long: racemes mostly bractless : flowers almost sessile: 

 calyx bristly : sepals linear, becoming 4—5 mm. long : nutlets usually solitary, ovoid or 

 ■oblong-ovoid, about 2 mm. long, acute. 



In dry soil, eastern Texas. Spring and summer. 



4. MERTENSIA Roth. 

 Perennial caulescent herbs, with rather succulent herbage and glabrous glaucous or 

 pubescent foliage. Leaves alternate : blades entire, sometimes punctate. Flowers in 

 racemes, panicles or cymes. Calyx-lobes 5, narrow, unchanged or little enlarged at 

 maturity. Corolla often showy, white, blue or purple, tubular-funnelform or trumpet- 

 shaped, the tube sometimes appendaged in the throat : lobes 5, imbricated, obtuse. Stamens 

 5, included or barely exserted : filaments filiform or flattened, adnate to the corolla-tube. 

 Ovary of 4 nearly distinct carpels. Nutlets 4, leathery, erect, wrinkled at maturity, 

 laterally attached to the receptacle above their bases. Lungwort. 



1. Meitensia Virginica (L. ) DC. Perennial, glabrous, often glaucescent. Stems 

 clustered, erect or ascending, 2-6 dm. tall, simple below the inflorescence : leaves 5-20 cm. 

 long ; blades oblong-elliptic or oval, obtuse, often undulate, the lower narrowed into winged 

 petioles, the upper sessile : panicles short, corymb-like : pedicels slender, 2-10 mm. long, 

 curved : calyx 2-2.5 mm. long; lobes oblong or lanceolate, longer than the tube: corolla 

 blue or rarely -white, about 3 mm. long ; tube narrowly funnelform, abruptly expanding 

 into the limb, which is cup-shaped, lightly lobed, 1-1.5 cm. broad. 



On rich banks, Ontario to Minnesota, Georgia, Tennessee and Kansas. Spring. Bluebells. 



,5. MYOSOTIS L. 



Annual biennial or perennial caulescent herbs. Leaves alternate : blades entire, often 

 narrow. Flowers in simple or branched 1 -sided racemes. Calyx-lobes 5, spreading or 

 erect. Corolla white, pink or blue often with a discolored eye, salverform, the tube short : 

 lobes 5, spreading, rounded, convolute. Stamens 5, included : filaments filiform, adnate 

 to the corolla-tube. Ovary of 4 nearly distinct carpels. Nutlets 4, attached to the recep- 

 tacle by their bases, glabrous or pubescent. Forget-me-not. Scorpion-grass. 



Calyx pubescent with straight appressed hairs, open at maturity. 



Calyx-lobes shorter than the tube : corolla 6-8 mm. broad. " 1. M. pahisirin. 



Calyx-lobes as long as the tube : corolla 4-6 mm. broad. 2. M. laxa. 



Calyx pubescent with more bristly and more hooked hairs, closed or with erect 

 lobes at maturity. 



a. Pedicels longer than the calyxes at maturity. 3. ^f. nrvntsi.t. 



