BORAOO, 



their leaves, and five stamens, at once distinguish than. They also 

 resemble .\altmmctm, hoi Aram these they an distinguished by their 

 gyrate inflorescence. The species are priiici|lly natives of the tem- 

 perate countries of the northern hemisphere. The properties of thin 

 order are not active. Nevertheless several hare been used in medicine ; 

 on* specie* yields alkanet, and many of them are cultivated. It con- 

 tains S3 genera and about 400 specie*. [ AXCHUSA ; Ecmux ; Pfi.no- 

 HARU ; STKKXHAMHARI A ; LrrHOSFERMUM ; MroeoTis ; STHI-HYTCM ; 

 BOBAOO ; CTXOUIXMSCX.] 



BORA'QO, a genus of plants, the type of the natural order Bora- 

 giumtta, and placed in the tribe Axckiarrr. This tribe is dintinguishod 

 by poenesing four nuU affixed to an hypogynous dink, with an exca- 

 vated space surrounded by a tumid ring at their base. The genus 

 Borago has a calyx with fire deep segments ; a rotate corolla with 

 the tube Tery short, the throat with short erect emarginate scales ; 

 exserted stamens, the filaments bifid, the inner fork bearingtheanther; 

 the anthers linear, lanceolate, connirent in the form of a cone. All the 

 species are rough plants, with fusiform root*, oblong or lanceolate 

 leaven, and blue panicled drooping flowers. 



B. ojSri*ali$, Common Borage, has the lower leaves obovote, obtuse, 

 attenuated below ; the segments of the corolla ovate, acute, flat, 

 spreading. The flowers are blue, and the whole plant is hispid, with 

 tubercled hairs. This plant appears to be originally a native of Aleppo, 

 but is now naturalised in most countries of Europe. In Great Britain 

 it is not uncommon on rubbish and in waste places. Borage had 

 formerly a great reputation as a cordial Its virtues in this respect 

 must have been overrated, as in common with the whole family to 

 which it belongs it possesses no very active properties. The tissues 

 contain gum, and on this account it may be used aa a demulcent. It 

 also possesses nitrate of potash, as well as other plants of the order, 

 which renders it slightly febrifuge. Withering says the young tender 

 leaves may be used as salads or as a pot-herb. Three other species 

 are described : B. crauifolia, a native of Persia ; B. lonyifolia, from 

 Numidia; and B. lusijhra, a native of Corsica. They are all plants 

 of the easiest culture. They may be always propagated by seed, 

 which should be sown in the open ground. They form pretty border- 

 flowers. 



(Babington, Manual of BrilM Botany; Q. Don, Ganlenirt Dic- 

 tionary.) 



BORA'SSUS, a genus of Palms, called Tola in Sanscrit and Palmyra 

 by the English, in imitation of the Portuguese, who name it Palmeira 

 Brava. It is denned by Roxburgh a having dioecious hexandrous 

 flowers ; the calyx and corolla in the males consisting each of three 

 distinct pieces, and in the females of from eight to twelve in a confused 

 state ; and the ovary of three cells, changing to a three-seeded drupe. 

 There is but one species according to writers on Indian botany ; but 

 it is not certain that more than one distinct palm is not confounded 

 under the common name of Palmyra. 



Borattiujtabtliifiirmii is the only species. This plant grows all over 

 India, both on the continent and in the islands, whore it is esteemed 

 of the greatest use on account of the vinous nap and the sugar which 

 are extracted from it. Its trunk is from 25 to 40 feet high when full 

 grown, and is perceptibly thicker at the base than at the summit. The 

 leaves are fan-shaped, about 4 feet long, and placed upon stalks of about 

 the same length, which are spiny at their edges ; each leaf is divided 

 into from 70 to 80 rays, which are ragged at the end, and the largest 

 of which are placed in the centre. The fruit is about as big as a child's 

 head, three-cornered, with the angles rounded off, and a little furrowed. 

 It consists of a thick, fibrous, rather succulent, yellowish-brown rind, 

 containing three seeds the size of a goose-egg. When young the shell 

 of the seed is so (oft that it may be readily pierced by the finger, and 

 the pulpy matter which it then contains is cool and sweet and refresh- 

 ing ; but when ripe all this changes to a hard bluish albumen, which 

 is insipid and uneatable. The outer wood of the stem when old 

 becomes very hard and brown, and although scarcely to be cut 

 transversely, nevertheless divides freely in a longitudinal direction : 

 it is capable of taking a fin* jHilish, and is frequently made use of for 

 bows. The young wood in the centre is white, soft, and worthless. 

 " This magnificent pmlas." says Sir William Jones, " is justly con- 

 sidered the king of it* order, which the Hindoos call ' trina drama,' or 

 grass trans, Van Rheeoto mentions the bluish, gelatinous, pellucid 

 substance of the young seeds, which in the hot season is cooling and 

 rather agreeable to the tssto ; but the liquor extracted from the tree 

 is the most Reducing and pernicious of intoxicating juices. When 

 just drawn it is as pleasant as Pouhon water fresh from the spring, 

 and almost equal to the brat mild champagne. From thin liquor, 

 according to Rheede, sugar is extracted; and it would be happy 

 for these provinces if it were always applied to so innocent a 



The mode of obtaining the sap of this palm is stated by Rumf to 

 be by crushing the young inflorescence and amputating the upper 

 half ; the lower is then tied to a leafstalk, and has a vessel usually ol 

 bamboo attached to its end. The vessel gradually fills with sap, and 

 is removed every morning ; when replaced a fresh slice is cut from the 

 wounded end of the inflorescence an operation which is repeated 

 daily until the whole of the raceme is sliced away. In procuring Uie 

 sugar exactly the same process is followed, but the iimiil. 

 receiver is powdered with lime, which prevents fermentation taking 



place : tin- juice is afterwards boiled down and finally dried by 

 exposure to smoke in little baskets. 



Palmyra (Borauat Jlabelliformit}. 



1, A male apadlx ; 2, a female spadix, inflorescence with tlic cpathrs at it 

 base ; 3, the back of a male flower ; 4, the front of tbe same ; 5, a female 

 flower ; 6, the same stripped of its scales and showing barren stamens enveloping 

 the ovary. 



BORAX. [BORON.] 



BO'RBORUS (Iphtfroetra of Latreille), a genus of Dipterous or 

 Two-Winged Flies, of the family Mntndtr. Its chief character 

 in the posterior thighs, which are much compressed, and the two 

 basal joints of the posterior tarsi, which are considerably larger than 

 the following. The head is concave in front and reflexed towards tin- 

 mouth : the antenwe diverge, and are sometimes almost as long as the 

 fore part of the head. The second cell of the posterior extremity of 

 the wing (the last of the two which occupy the middle of its length) 

 is closed before it reaches the margin. 



These little flies are found in marshy places, and on putrid sub- 

 stances, but more particularly dung-heaps, in which probably thrir 

 larva; reside ; they are always abundant alxmt. cuctimlx-r frames, and 

 are of a brownish colour ; most of the species when expanded would 

 scarcely measure a quarter of an inch. 



BOBBCOLK, a variety of lirastica oltracta, also called Sprouts. 

 [BRASSICACE*.] 



BURER, a name for the worm-like fish, known also by the name of 

 the Myxine, the Glutinous Hag, and I'.lind Fish. [(! \<IHOI:K \\ 



BO'KKI'S il.atreillei. a fcuiis nf Insects of the order .\, u mptera, 

 and family J'anorpid&. This genus, of which only one spr 

 known (B. hyernalu), is not mily remarkable for its structure, IIM 



the curious circmnstaiii f its having been found in tin- winter months 



only, and is said even to have been seen on the Alps runnini; alint mi 

 the snow : its most common abode however appears to be in moss. 



B. hyemalit is about one quarter of an inch long and of a gi > 

 colour, with the legs inclining to red ; and, unlike the rest of its trilx-, 

 the female possesses no wings, and those of the male are only rudimen- 

 tary. The ant. mi:e are long and thread-like, the parts of the month 

 ore produced into a kind of proboscis; the abdomen >{ tlie female is 

 furnished with a large ovipositor. It is rather a scarce insect in this. 

 country. 



BORNIA, a genus of Fossil Plants from the I'o.-d Koii 

 including Bomiatquitetifiirinit, which I.indlev rank-" in - 

 ('Foss. Flora,' t. 124). 



