270 BOTANY FOR BEGINNERS CHAP. 



Natural Order : Boraginese (Borage Family). The 

 plants can be easily recognised by their succulent stems covered 

 with hairs, their entire leaves and scor- 

 pioid cymes. The flowers are generally 

 blue and actinomorphic. The calyx is 

 gamosepalous, 5 lobed, inferior. The 

 corolla is gamopetalous, 5 lobed, and 

 hypogynous. The five stamens are 

 epipetalous and alternate with the lobes 

 "Sfcss..^^- *&* of corolla. The pistil is syncarpous, 



carpels 2, superior. Each carpel is 2 

 FIG. 259. Floral diagram, lobed, thus forming a 4 lobed ovary. 

 The style is gynobasic (p. 186). The 

 fruit consists of four indehiscent nutlets. 

 Floral formula.- -K(s), [C(s), AS] 6(2). 

 Description of a Typical Member of Boraginese 

 (Myosotis palustris, Forget-Me-Not). 



Habit. A perennial herb with entire leaves, and bright blue 

 flowers. 



Root. Rootstock creeping. 



Stem. A creeping stolon with small leaves. The aerial stem 

 is from i to 2 feet high; herbaceous, erect, ribbed, hollow, 

 hairy, green. 



Leaves. Cauline, alternate, sessile, simple, entire, hairy, 

 green. 



Inflorescence. Definite, scorpioid cyme. 



Flower. Complete, actinomorphic, rotate, minute, blue, throat 

 of corolla closed with fine scales. 



Calyx. Gamosepalous, 5 lobed, inferior, green, hairy. 

 Corolla. Gamopetalous, 5 lobed, hypogynous. 

 Andrcecium. Free, 5 stamens, epipetalous, alternating with 

 lobes of corolla, filament short. 



Gyncecium. Syncarpous, 2 carpels, superior ovary, 4 lobed, 

 style gynobasic, stigma capitate. 

 Fruit. Four indehiscent nutlets. 

 Pollination. By insects. 



Properties of Boraginese. The properties of the plants of this 

 order are unimportant. The dried root of Alkanet, cultivated through- 

 out the south of Europe, is used in medicine. 



