THE COMFEEY. 



Symphytum officinale. Nat. Ord., 

 Boraginacece. 



HILE not so attractive as 

 many of our wild plants, 

 the subject of our present 

 plate nevertheless possesses 

 many features of interest that 

 amply repay a closer examina- 

 tion than it would, we fear, 

 ordinarily get bestowed upon 

 it, while its commonness would, 

 in any case, fairly entitle it to a place 

 in our pages, for though we have 

 endeavoured^ as far as may be, to in- 

 troduce plants of an attractive cha- 

 racter, we do not cease to bear in mind 

 that our real aim is not to subordinate general dis- 

 tribution to mere attractiveness ; we therefore neither 

 insert a plant for its beauty merely, nor refuse it ad- 

 mission, common as it may be, because it may not 

 hope to compete with more attractive flowers. 



The comfrey is the Symphytum officinale of botanical 

 science. The first, or generic, name is derived from the 

 Greek verb to unite, from the supposed vulnerary qualities 

 of the plant. The only other species in the genus that 



