FAMILIES OF FLOWERING PLANTS 



229 



fortia, and a few relatives of these. Our western plains and the drier 

 regions of southern Europe and Asia, on the other hand, abound with 

 bristly-hairy herbs of the Borage family. In general, they possess 

 mucilaginous qualities, and quite a number yield dyes, as the alkanet 

 {Alkanna tinctoria). A few are occasionally used as potherbs, like the 

 comfrey {Symphytum officinale) or as salads {Borago officinalis). Very 

 few can be considered ornamental, with the exception of the heliotropes 

 and some species of Myosotis (forget-me-not). Some of the European 

 genera, such as the blueweed {Echium vulgare) have become extremely 

 troublesome weeds in certain parts of our eastern States. The seeds of 

 many of these plants are curious, being very hard and stone-like in tex- 

 ture, (whence the name Lithospermum, applied to one genus,) and often 

 polished white and shining. Fig. 197 shows the fruit of the common 

 houndstongue {Cynoglossum officinale) which belongs to the class of 

 "stick-tights," being beset with viscid bristles. Fig. 198 is a flowering 



,#•<»»- 



\ 







Fig. 198, White Cordia {Cordia alba). Original ; 

 reduced one-half. 



branch of the tree Cordia alba, commonly cultivated for ornament in the 

 West Indies. 



Family Verbenaceae, Verbena Family. These are herbs, shrubs, 



