108 THE BORAGE FAMILY. [Echium. 



tube of the corolla, and alternating with its divisions. Ovary 

 deeply 4-lobed (or, in some exotic genera, 2-lobcd), with a simple 

 style inserted between the lobes. Fruit consisting of as many 

 small, 1-seeded nuts, having the appearance of seeds, and en- 

 closed within or <=iirrounded by the calyx. 



A numerous family in the northern hemisphere, with a few represen- 

 tatives in the tropics or in the southern hemisphere ; easily distinguished 

 y the 4 seed-like nuts from all but Labiatic, and from these by their 

 alternate leaves and more regular flowers. 

 Tube of the corolla open, without any scales or valves at its 



orifice. 



Stamens protruding beyond the corolla. 

 Corolla oblique and more or less irregular, with erect, or 



scarcely spreading lobes 1. ECHIUM. 



Corolla regular, with a straight tube and spreading liuib . 3. MEHTKXSIA, 

 Stamens included in the tube of the corolla. 



Calyx tubular, the lobes not reaching to the middle . . 2. FULMONARIA. 

 Calyx divided to the base. Nuts very hard . . . .4. LITHOPSERMUM. 

 Tube or centre of the corolla more or lees closed at its orifice 



by scales or valves, or stamens. 



Corolla tubular, with 5 small teeth . .... 8. SYMPHTTUM. 



Corolla rotate, the anthers erect, forming a cone in tlie 



centre 9. BORAOO. 



Corolla (small) with a slightly bent tube, and rather oblique, 



spreading limb .... .... 7. LVCOPSIS. 



Corolla with a straight tube, and regular spreading limb. 

 Calyx broad, and somewhat flattened, enlarged after flower- 

 ing, with small teeth between the large ones . . .10. ASPERUGO. 

 Calyx regularly 5-cleft. 



Nuts depressed, ovate or round, muricated and burr-like . It. CTSOOLOSSUM. 

 Nuts ovoid, erect, smooth or wrinkled. 



Nuto wrinkled. Spikes with a bract under each flower. 6. ANCHUSA. 

 Nuts smooth and shining. Racemes without bracts. 



Flowers usually small ...... 5. MVOSOTTS. 



Among exotic genera, Echinospcrmum Lapptda, a south European 

 annual, which has all the appearance and the small flowers of a 

 Myosotis, but with triangular, very rough nuts, has been occasionally 

 found in isolated localities in England, when accidentally introduced 

 with Continental weeds. The well-known sweet Heliotrope of our gardens 

 bf longs to a large exotic genus, truly Boragineoun, though somewhat 

 anomalous in the closer union of the nuts. The Nemophilas and 

 Kutocat of our flower-gardens belong to the small allied Hydropht/Uum 

 family, which has the inflorescence and flowers of Boraginea, but the 

 fruit is a capsule, and the leaves often divided. 



L ECHIUM. ECHIUM. 



Coarse biennials, or, in exotic species, half -shrubby perennials, with 

 blue or purple flowers. Calyx deeply divided. Corolla with a broad, 

 open mouth to the tube, and an oblique limb, with f> erect or scarcely 

 spreading unequal teeth or lobes. Stamens protruding from the tube, 

 and unequal in length. Style 2-cleft. Nuts wrinkled. 



A rather numerous genus in the Canary Islands and western and 

 southern Africa, with a few European and west Asiatic species,, 



