200 BOEAGINACEJE. 



On the cliffs near Polperro she found the Lesser Dodder 

 twining its crimson threads round Furze bushes. Its flowers 

 grow in clusters ; they are like waxy bells. The seed of these 

 plants does not split into lobes, but it opens, and puts forth a 

 little spiral body, which is the embryo. 



There is a Greater Dodder (Ciiscuta europeea), which I once 

 found entwining round a large Onion in our garden ; it differs 

 little from the Lesser except in size, and in having an apology 

 for a flower-stalk to some of the florets of the cluster. 



There are a Flax Dodder and Trefoil Dodder, parasitic on the 

 plants after which they are named. I have specimens given by 

 Mr. Perry, of Warwick, but it is difficult to discern any points 

 of distinction. All these plants are very noxious among crops, 

 choking the herbs around which they twine. I think our 

 Lesser Dodder was innocent of injuring the Furze (C. epithy- 

 mum, Plate XIL,fig. 12). 



We now come to an extensive and very beautiful tribe that 

 of the Borage. Blue is the prevailing colour of the flowers. 

 The corolla is five-cleft, and has often teeth in the centre ; the 

 leaves are generally rough. 



The Viper's Bugloss (Eehium vulgare), is one representative 

 of the first family in the Borage tribe. It has a spotted hairy 

 stem, and one-sided cluster of funnel-shaped blue flowers. It 

 is a beautiful plant, and looks brilliant as it lifts its head from 

 the ruins of Richmond Castle, where it grows side by side 

 with the wild Wallflower. I have found it also upon the walls 

 of Jervaulx Abbey, and upon rocks in that district. The 

 spotted stem suggests a likeness to the viper, which seems to 

 be acknowledged throughout Europe. In Spain it is called 

 "Herba de la Vibara," and in France "La Viperine." Our 

 forefathers, pursuing the theory of " Signatures," believed that 

 it would heal the bite of a viper. Gerarde was of opinion that 

 the mere sight of it would affect serpents. He says, " Its 

 vertues are so forcible, that the herbe only thrown before the 

 scorpeon, or any other venemous beast, causeth them to be 



