346 THE HIGHER DICOTYLEDONS. 



Scorpion-Grass or True Forget-me-not (M. pcduatris), in wet 

 places, especially on edges of streams and ponds, is perennial, with 

 creeping rhizome and runners ; erect stems 1-2 feet, stout; leaves 1-3 

 inches long, bright green ; firs, usually large (8-12 mm. diameter), 

 bright blue with yellow centre ; a very variable plant. 



352. The Borage Family (Boraginaceae) is represented in 

 Britain by eleven genera, all of which except Echium (Viper's 

 Bugloss) have regular flowers, and is easily distinguished by 

 the alternate simple leaves, the general covering of stiff hairs, 

 the curved one-sided inflorescence, and the structure of ovary 

 and fruit. 



353. Flower Mechanisms in Boraginaceae. The inflo- 

 rescence of this family is rather difficult to explain, and it is 

 perhaps enough to notice that the flowers in most cases all 

 point in one direction, either upwards or downwards, which 

 increases their conspicuousness to insects. The lower forms, 

 with short corolla- tube, e.g. Myosotis, are visited by flies 

 (chiefly hover-flies), while the higher types are adapted for 

 bees and butterflies and show some interesting floral me- 

 chanisms. The pollination of Myosotis has been dealt with. 



Viper's Bugloss (Echium) has, on separate plants, female 

 flowers and perfect flowers, and is therefore termed gyno- 

 dioecious. The perfect flowers are protandrous. The flowers 

 are protected against rain by the leaves and by the zygo- 

 morphic corolla, though there are no scales in the throat of 

 the tube. After the stamens have shed their pollen they 

 curve backwards and the style moves forwards so that the 

 stigma stands where the stamens were previously. It is 

 visited chiefly by bees and butterflies. 



The Borage (B or ago) is a typical bee-flower, and is largely 

 cultivated for feeding bees. Though the flower (Fig. 139) 

 hangs downwards, the honey is prevented from dripping out 

 by the scales which nearly close the corolla-tube. The pollen 

 collects within the conical chamber formed by the anthers ; 

 at first the style lies inside this chamber. A bee hanging on 

 to the flower thrusts its tongue between the bases of the 

 stamens and brings a shower of pollen on to its head. After 

 the pollen has been shed, the style grows out of the anther- 

 cone and developes its stigma. 



