B O R 



B O R 



upright and emnrginatc: the lower revolute, 

 and semitrifid, the size of the upper: the sta- 

 mina consist of four subulate filaments, bend- 

 ing to the upper lip, the length of the corolla: 

 two higher: the anthers are simple: the pis- 

 tillum is an ovate germ: the style is simple; 

 situation and length of the stamens: the stigma 

 bifid, and blunt: the periearpium is an ovate 

 drupe, with the top oblique: the seed an oval 

 hut, one-celled, and germinating. 



There is only one species cultivated for orna- 

 ment in the stove; B. Daphnoides, Daphne- 

 like Barbadoes Wild Olive. 



In this the leaves arc thickish, rather stiff", 

 very smooth, and green on both sides; the 

 lower ones are verv slightly toothed: the co- 

 rolla is yellowish, with a line of dusky purple 

 along the middle of the lower lip. It rises ten 

 feet in height. The flowers come from the 

 sides of the branches, and are succeeded by 

 large oval fruit, which occasionally ripen here. 

 It flowers in June. 



Culture. — Plants off this sort may be easily 

 raised from seeds, which should be sown on a 

 moderate hot-bed early in the spring, that the 

 plants may acquire strength before winter. 

 When of sufficient growth, they must be 

 planted out into a separate small pot filled 

 With light fresh earth, and plunged into a mo- 

 derate hot-bed of tanners bark, water and shade 

 being given until they have taken root; after 

 which they musthave alarge share of air in warm 

 weather, and be often relreshed with water. In 

 winter they should be placed in the stove, where 

 they should have a moderate degree of warmth, 

 and but little water. They require much air in 

 summer, but will not succeed well if exposed 

 abroad in cold summers ; they should there- 

 fore remain in the stove among plants which 

 require a free air. In this management they 

 mostly produce flowers and fruit in three or four 

 years. 



They are also capable of being propagated by 

 cuttings, which should be planted out in the 

 summer; being put into pots filled with light 

 rich earth, and plunged into a moderate hot- 

 bed, water and shade being given until they 

 have taken root: after which thev must be 

 treated as the seedling plants. 



These plants, from their being evergreen, and 

 having a pyramidal form, make a pretty variety 

 in the stove, in assemblage u ith other plants of 

 the exotic kind. 



BORAGE. See Borago. 



BORAGO, a geuus containing herbaceous 

 plants of the hardy annual and perennial kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Pentandria 



Moiwgyuia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 AsperifoVue . 



The characters are : that the calyx is a five- 

 parted permanent perianth : the corolla is mono- 

 petalous, rotate, the length ofthecalvx; the 

 tube shorter than the calyx: border five-parted, 

 rotate, and flat: throat crowned with five etnar- 

 ginate obtuse prominencies. The stamina con- 

 sist of five subulate converging filaments: the 

 anthers are oblong, fixed to the inside of the 

 filaments in the middle, and converging: the 

 pistillum consists of four germs: the stvle fili- 

 form, longer than the stamens : the stigma 

 simple: there is no periearpium: the calvx 

 larger, and inflated. The seeds are four and 

 roundish, being wrinkled, and keeled outwards at 

 the top, globular at the base, and inserted lon- 

 gitudinally into a hollowed receptacle. 



The species chiefly cultivated in gardens for 

 use or ornament are: 1. B. officinalis, Common 

 Annual Borage ; 2. B. orient a/is, Oriental Percn- 

 nial Borage. 



In the. first the whole plant is rough, with 

 white, stiff, prickly hairs: the peduncles termi- 

 nating and many-flowered ; the calyx divided to 

 the very base, and also the corolla', but it falls 

 off in one piece; the tube very short and white; 

 the segments acute; filaments verv short, white, 

 and springing from the claws of the petal, with 

 a sharp blue process where the anthers are in- 

 serted : these are of a blackish or dark-purple 

 colour, and form a kind of umbo in the middle 

 round the flower. The common colour of the 

 corolla is blue, but it varies to flesh-coloured 

 and white. It is an annual plant, and flowers 

 from May to August. It is a native of Aleppo, 

 but naturalized here, &c. 



There are varieties, with red flowers, with 

 white flowers, and with variegated leaves. 



The second species is a perennial plant, with 

 thick fleshy roots, spreading under the surface; 

 the root-leaves are manv, oblong, and heart- 

 shaped, on long hairy foot-stalks: the flower- 

 stem rises mor» than two feet in height, having 

 at the joints a single, small, sessile leaf; the 

 upper part branches out into several small foot- 

 stalks, which are terminated by loose panicles of 

 flowers of a pale-blue colour : the petal is turned 

 back, so that the connected anthers and style are 

 left naked. The seeds are smaller than those 

 of common Borage. When the flower-stalk 

 first appears the flowers seem collected into a 

 close spike, some of which often spread open 

 before the stalk is six inches high ; but, as the 

 stalks advance, they divide into many loose 

 spikes. It is a native of Constantinople, and. 

 flowers in March. 



2 A 



