428 BORAGINACEJE. 



minal flowers as a centre, and expand a few at a time. 

 The prevailing colour is blue or purple, but many, when 

 first opening, are of a reddish hue, which subsequently 

 deepens, so that it is not unusual to see flowers of dif- 

 ferent tints in the same spike or cluster. They possess 

 no remarkable properties, but abound in a soft mucila- 

 ginous juice, which gives a coolness to beverages in 

 which they are steeped, on which account Borage is 

 a constant ingredient in the drink known as " cool 

 tankard." The roots of Alkanet and some others 

 contain a red substance, which is used as a dye. Com- 

 frey (Symphytum officindle) is sometimes grown as an 

 esculent vegetable, but is little valued except as food 

 for horses. The plants of the genus Myosotis are popu- 

 larly known by the name " Forget-me-not ;" the true 

 Forget-me-not is M. Palustris. 



1. ECHIUM (Viper's Bugloss). Corolla irregular, with 

 an open mouth ; stamens unequal in length. (Name 

 from the Greek, echis, a viper, against the bite of which 

 it was formerly considered an antidote.) 



2. PULMONARIA (Lungwort). Calyx tubular, 5-cleft ; 

 corolla funnel-shaped, its throat naked ; stamens enclosed 

 within the corolla. (Name from the Latin, Pulmo, the 

 lungs, which the spotted leaves were supposed to re- 

 semble.) 



3. LITHOSPERMUM (Gromwell). Calyx deeply 5-cleft ; 

 corolla funnel-shaped, its throat naked, or with 5 minute 

 scales ; filaments short ; seeds stony. (Name from the 

 Greek, lithos, a stone, and sperma, seed, from the hard- 

 ness of the seeds.) 



4. MERTENSIA (Smooth Gromwell). Calyx deeply 

 5-cleft ; corolla funnel-shaped ; filaments long ; seeds 

 somewhat fleshy. (Name in honour of M. Mertens a 

 German botanist.) 



5. SYMPHYTUM (Comfrey). Calyx deeply 5-cleft ; 

 corolla bell-shaped, closed with 5 awl-shaped scales. 

 (Name from the Greek symphyo, to unite, from its 

 imagined healing qualities.) 



