BORAGINE^E 263 



Borago officinalis, L. 



Pistil syncarpous, superior ; ovary of two carpels, deeply divided 

 into four parts, which ultimately fall away from the receptacle as 

 four nutlets ; nutlets erect, oblong, terminated by an acute shallow 

 ridge that runs along the apex and down the inner angle, con- 

 stricted a little above the base giving the latter a tumid appear- 

 ance, striated longitudinally with shallow, more or less toothed or 

 muricated ridges on all sides, pale green when immature, ulti- 

 mately brown ; style gynobasic ; ovules solitary in each of the four 

 parts of the ovary, pendulous, anatropous ; micropyle close to or 

 at the apex. 



Fruit breaking up into four indehiscent nutlets, which before 

 maturity are seated on a tumid or fleshy body, rounded on all sides 

 except where the seed comes in contact with it. 



Seed ovoid-oblong, smooth, with a broad base and suddenly 

 tapered to a small point at the apex, pale green when immature, 

 conforming to the smooth inner surface of the pericarp from which 

 it never escapes ; radicle superior or at the apex of the seed, forming 

 a small turbinate point. 



Endosperm absent. 



Embryo always straight, oval or elliptic in outline, fleshy, milk- 

 white, suspended from the narrow apex of the seed; cotyledons 

 plano-convex, applied face to face, oval or elliptic in outline, perfectly 

 straight and entire, rather rounded at the apex and tapering to the 

 small turbinate radicle. 



Anchusa capensis, Tliunbg. 



Hypocotyl erect, terete, 4-5 mm. long, light green or colourless, 

 glabrous. 



Cotyledons broadly obovate-oblong, obtuse, entire, shortly petio- 

 late, hispid above, glabrous beneath, green, indistinctly pinnatinerved 

 like the leaves. 



Stem with the primary internodes undeveloped. 



First leaves simple, entire, radical, alternate, oblong, obtuse, 

 tapering at the base to a broad petiole, exstipulate, hispid, green, 

 pinnatinerved. 



Myosotis arvensis, Iloffm. 



Fruit of four nutlets, each one-seeded and oval, with their peri- 

 carps smooth and greenish. 



Seed conforming in shape to the nutlets from '75-1 mm. long, 

 slightly laterally flattened ; hilum inconspicuous. 



Endosperm wanting. 



Embryo straight, filling the seed, colourless ; cotyledons broadly 



