PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 51 



I. MONOGYNIA. 



5G. MYOSOTIS. 



* Roots perennial, or perhaps biennial. 



1. M. palustris, root creeping; leaves oblong-lanceolate, rough- 

 ish, with close bristles ; clusters leafless ; flowers large, on di- 

 vergent stalks twice as long as the 5-toothed patent calyx ; limb 

 of the corolla horizontal, longer than the tube ; seeds smooth. 

 Forget-me-not. 



Hob. Sides of ponds and rivulets, frequent. June Aug. 



This very beautiful flower is considered as the emblem of 

 friendship in almost every country in civilized Europe. 

 The following tale of the origin of the name is given in 

 MILL'S History of Chivalry, vol. i. p. 315, to whom it 

 was communicated by Dr A. T. THOMSON. " Two lovers 

 were loitering on the margin of a lake, on a fine summer's 

 evening, when the maiden espied some of the flowers of 

 Myosotis growing on the water, close to the bank of an 

 island, at some distance from the shore. She expressed a 

 desire to possess them, when the knight, in the true spirit 

 of chivalry, plunged into the water, and swimming to the 

 spot, cropped the wished-for plant, but his strength was 

 unable to fulfil the object of his achievement, and feeling 

 that he could not regain the shore, although very near it, 

 he threw the flowers upon the bank, and casting a last af- 

 fectionate look upon his lady-love, he cried, t Forget-me- 

 not,' and was buried in the waters." 



2. M. caspitosa, root fibrous, or slightly creeping ; herb covered 

 with closely appressed bristles ; leaves oblong-lanceolate; clusters 

 leafy at the base ; flowers small ; calyx funnel-shaped, with broad 

 spreading teeth ; limb of the corolla the length of the tube ; seeds 

 smooth. 



Hal. Watery places not uncommon. In the lane below 

 Unthank Colliery. June, July. 



Our plant, Mr WINCH informs me, agrees with specimens 

 from Mr FORSTER. It appears to be a good species. It 

 is, as SMITH remarks, u of a weaker, paler, more lax habit 

 than the foregoing, having always a leaf or two at the 



