204 POPULAR FIELD BOTANY. 
PENTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 
CoROLLIFLORH. BORAGINACES. 
BORAGO. (BoraGe.) 
Generic Character. Calyx five-cleft. Corolla wheel-shaped, 
having the mouth closed with five obtuse scales. 
BoraGoO OFFICINALIS. Common Borage. The flower of 
this plant is most beautiful, its brilliant blue corolla being 
quite an ornament. It is large, bright blue, and having 
very prominent, purplish-black stamens; pendant when ex- 
panded, and the buds pmk. The whole plant very rough. 
Upper leaves having no stalks; lower, narrow at the base, 
and eared. It is now naturalized, but thought to be 
originally brought from the Levant, where the flowers are 
larger, and still more beautiful. This plant was formerly 
used as an ingredient in a cooling liquor, called “ Cool 
Tankard,” made of cider, lemon, and water. Its rough 
leaves, also, were eaten as a salad when young. Gerarde, 
the old herbalist, says, “ an extract from it drives away 
sorrow, and increaseth the joy of the mind.” 
