ANCHUSA 



(From the Greek anchouia, the ancient name of the plant and also of a red dye, "Alkanet," made from the roots) 



Boraginacfa 



31. Anchusa italica, van Dropmore 

 English Names : Bugloss (from Greek, meaning ox tongue), Ox tongue, Alkanet. 



SOUTH EUROPE EARLY MAY TO MID-JULY 



TRUMPET-SHAPED flowers about three quarters of an inch across, 

 of bright gentian blue in pyramidal spikes formed of many- 

 small flower clusters on short leafy stems, carried on upright, much- 

 branching leafy stalks, 

 three to six feet high. 

 The leaves are rough and 

 glossy, of a long pointed- 

 oval- shape, sometimes 

 two feet long at the bot- 

 tom of the plant, and 

 become unsightly after 

 blooming. Without 

 proper treatment the An- 

 chusa is only a rough 

 straggling plant with 

 small blue blossoms, but 

 with proper treatment it 

 becomes a splendid bright 

 blue pyramid, compara- 

 ble to the Larkspur in 

 brilliance, and blooming 

 continuously for two or 

 three months if not al- 

 lowed to seed. 



A hardy perennial in 

 theory; in practice the 

 fleshy roots become hol- 

 low as they grow old, fill 

 with water in winter, and 

 rot. It is best propa- 

 gated by root cuttings two or three inches long, which should be started, 

 right end up, in the cold-frame in October. In the spring the young plants 



35 



