344 



BORAGINE/E 



pearl-grey, stony nutlets, which remain on the dead, leafless shoots 

 in autumn. — Dry places ; not unfrequent. — Fl. June — August. 

 Perennial. 



3. L arvense (Corn Gromwell). — Stem about a foot high, soli- 

 tary, erect, branched ; leaves narrow, hairy ; flowers small, cream- 

 white ; calyx lengthening when in fruit, and containing 3 or 4 



brown, wrinkled nutlets. — 

 \^ — ^ |s Cornfields; common. — Fl. 



'^ " ' May — July. Annual. 



II. EcHiuM (Viper's Bu- 

 gloss). — Usually large, rough 

 herbs with their flowers in 

 scorpioid clusters ; calyx 

 deeply 5 -cleft ; corolla mono- 

 symmetric, sub-campanulate, 

 its throat naked, stamens very 

 long, unequal in length, ex- 

 serted. (Name from the 

 Greek echis, a viper, against 

 the bite of which it was 

 formerly considered an anti- 

 dote.) 



I. E. vulgdre (Common 

 Viper's Bugloss). — A hand- 

 some plant, 2 — 3 feet high, 

 remarkable for its bristly, or 

 almost prickly stems and 

 leaves, and numerous curved, 

 lateral spikes of flowers, which 

 on their first opening are 

 bright rose-coloured and 

 finally of a brilliant blue. — 

 Dry places ; common. The 

 roots are very long and taper- 

 6CHIUM vulgAr^ {Common Vipers Bugloss). ing, and dcsccnd perpendicu- 

 larly into the loose soil in 



which the plant usually grows. There is a white-flowered variety. 



The name Bugloss is of Greek origin, signifying ox's tongue, 



referring to the shape and roughness of the leaves. — Fl. June — 



August. Biennial. 



2.* E. plantagineum, with narrower leaves and more spreading 



spikes of dark violet flowers, occurs in Cornwall and Jersey.— Fl. 



June — September. Biennial. 



