BORAGINACE^. 209 



masses at the roots, and are egg-shaped, with a heart-shaped 

 base, and clothed with dense roughish hairs. The flowers are 

 borne in terminal panicles, and are light blue, with a dash of 

 red on opening, appearing in early summer. Native of the 

 mountains of Dauria, and well fitted for border decoration. 



P. o&cinalis (Common Lwigwort). — A well-kno\\m inhabitant 

 of cottage-gardens, and generally of the herbaceous borders of 

 all gardens in which such borders are permitted. The large 

 spotted-leaved form is too well known to require description, 

 and is, when the best variety, a plant worthy of a place in any 

 garden ; but there are inferior varieties passed about under the 

 same name, for it is a variable species, and some of these are 

 not worth growing if the best can be got. The P. a7igicstifolia 

 of the catalogues is a less ornamental form, with narrower and 

 usually spotless leaves. The flowers of all the forms of the 

 species are borne in forked panicles, usually opening pink or 

 reddish, and shading into difterent tints of blue. They appear 

 in spring and early summer. 



Symphytum {Comfrey). — This group is mainly composed of 

 bold-growing, rather coarse plants, adapted for the adornment 

 of open woods and semi-wild places, but neither sulflciently 

 showy nor refined for borders of an ornamental character. They 

 flourish in any common soil, preferring that which is moist, and 

 are propagated by division. 



S. asperrimum {Roughest Comfrey). — A large coarse plant 

 with large, roughly-hairy, broad, egg-shaped or lance-shaped 

 leaves. The flowers are red and purple, or blue, appearing in 

 early summer and continuing to the end. Height 3 or 4 feet. 

 Native of the Caucasus. 



S. bohemicum (Bohemian Comfrey). — This is a fine species, 

 worthy of a place in select mixed borders, and a very handsome 

 and desirable plant. In good moist sandy loam it grows to the 

 height of about 2 feet, producing broadly-lance-shaped leaves 

 and fine drooping trusses of handsome crimson flowers, which 

 open in the beginning of summer and last a month or two. 

 The name coccineiim, which this plant bears in some gardens, is 

 an erroneous one, for which I can find no authority. 



S. caucasicum (Caucasian Comfrey). — A good dwarf border 

 species, making considerable development of procumbent 

 stems and foliage. The flowers are deep or purplish blue, 

 appearing in the later spring and early summer months. Na- 

 tive of the Caucasus. 



S. officinalis (Common Comfrey). — In moist soil this grows 

 3 or more feet high, with strong erect stems amply clothed 

 with long and broad lance-shaped, roughly-hairy leaves. It is 



o 



