206 BORAGINACE.E. 



The flower-stems are erect, clothed with lance-shaped sharply- 

 pointed leaves, rather roughly hairy. The flowers few together 

 at the points of the branches. They open in early summer, 

 and continue long. A very handsome plant in border or rock- 

 work, and desirable to naturalise on dry banks in open woods, 

 in which way it is likely to succeed well. Native of Britain, 

 but rare, and southern Europe. 



Mertensia virginica, syn. Pulmonaria virginica. — A very 

 handsome and distinct border-plant, better known under the 

 synonymic than the name now applied to it. It grows i foot 

 or 1 8 inches high. The root-leaves are elliptical in shape, 

 quite smooth, and pale green or glaucous in maturity, but in 

 the early stages of growth pale or livid purple. The stem- 

 leaves are smaller, but the same shape and colour. The flowers 

 appear in May and continue for some weeks, and are beautiful 

 blue, in pendent racemes or panicles at the ends of the shoots. 

 Flourishes best in moist good loam, but is not over-particular 

 as to soil if the necessary moisture is present. Propagate by 

 division. Native of North America. 



Myosotis {Forget-me-?iot). — This is a familiar group, and 

 much admired for their humble but attractive profusion of 

 flower. They are plants of the simplest habits as regards cul- 

 ture. Most of them are bad perennials, that are apt to wear 

 themselves out in a year or two if not timeously attended to in 

 the matters of lifting and replanting, and refreshing the soil in 

 the spots they occupy. It is well to attend to this regularly 

 annually, and it is best done immediately flowering is done. 

 In the case of certain species it will be necessary to remark 

 more particularly on their treatment in the proper place. They 

 succeed generally best in good rich loam, rather moist and 

 light, and are propagated by seed, cuttings, or division. 



M. alpestris (Alpine Fo7'get-me-not). — The doctors are not 

 agreed as to whether this is a good species or a marked variety 

 of M. sylvatica; some of the authorities hold one view and some 

 the other. It is not a point of much consequence to those 

 who are looking for and anxious to meet with distinct orna- 

 mental plants, and those disposed to satisfy themselves on the 

 scientific question will find the reasons pro and con in the 

 various floras of this country and the Continent. It is quite 

 distinct as a garden ornament, as well as superior to the best 

 forms of sylvatica. The plant, even when most luxuriant, is only 

 a few inches high. The leaves are rather roughly hairy, on 

 longish narrow stalks, and dark green. The flowers are as 

 large or larger than those of the common Forget-me-not, and 

 usually succeed those of sylvatica in the time of opening, which 



