BORAGINACEAE (BORAGE FAMILY) 



683 



861. S. officinale. 



6. SYMPHYTUM [Tourn.] L. COMFREY 



Corolla 5-toothed, the short teeth spreading. Stamens included ; anthers 

 elongated. Style thread-form. Nutlets erect, fixed by the large hollowed base, 

 which is finely toothed on its margin. Coarse 

 perennial herbs, with thickened bitterish mucilagi- 

 nous roots ; the nodding raceme-like clusters either 

 single or in pairs. (Ancient Greek name from 

 <rvfjL<t>vii>, to cause to grow together, probably for 

 its reputed healing virtues.) 



1. S. OFFICINALE L. (COMMON C.) Hairy, 

 branched ; upper leaves decurrent upon the stem 

 in broad cuneate wings, the lower large, ovate 

 or ovate-lanceolate ; calyx-segments lance-linear ; 

 corolla yellowish- or pinkish-white to bluish- or 

 roseate-purple; nutlets nearly smooth, somewhat 

 shining. Moist places, escaped from gardens. 

 June, July. (In trod, from Eu.) FIG. 861. 



2. S. TUBERdsuM L. Erect and rather slender 

 from a knotted tuberous base, pubescent; leaves 

 mostly elliptic-ovate or -lanceolate, petiolate, the 

 petioles decurrent as very narrow wings upon the 

 stem ; calyx-segments lanceolate, finely appressed- 

 pubescentand somewhat hirsute ; corolla yellowish- 

 white ; nutlets granulate-tuberculate, dull. Low 

 sandy meadows, Southington, Ct. (Andrews), and 



very likely elsewhere. (Adv. from Eu.) 



3. S. ASPERRTMUM Donn. Harsh with short recurved prickle-like hairs ; 

 leaves not decurrent ; calyx very small, in anthesis 2-4 

 mm. long, prickly-hispid all over ; corolla chiefly purple. 

 Low ground, not rare. (Introd. from Eu.) 



7. LYC6PSIS L. BUGLOSS 



Corolla funnel-shaped, with curved tube and slightly 

 unequal limb ; the throat closed with 5 convex obtuse 

 bristly scales opposite the lobes. Stamens and style in- 

 cluded. Nutlets rough-wrinkled, erect, fixed by a hollowed- 

 out base. Annuals. (Name from Xtf/cos, a wolf, and 6\j/is t 

 appearance.) 



1. L. ARVENSis L. (SMALL B.) Very rough-bristly, 

 1-6 dm. high; leaves lanceolate ; flowers in leafy raceme- 

 like clusters ; calyx as long as the tube of the small blue 

 corolla. Dry or sandy fields and waste places, Que. to 

 Va., Minn., and Ont., scarce. (Adv. from Eu.) FIG. 862. 



8. MYOSdTIS [Hupp.] L. SCORPION-GRASS. FORGET-ME-NOT 



Corolla-tube about the length of the 6-toothed or 5-cleft calyx, the throat 

 with 5 small and blunt arching appendages opposite the rounded lobes ; the 

 latter convolute in the bud ! Stamens included, on very short filaments. Nutlets 

 compressed. Low and mostly soft-hairy herbs, with entire leaves, those of 

 the stem sessile, and with small flowers in naked racemes, which are entirely 

 bractless, or occasionally with small leaves next the base, prolonged and straight- 

 ened in fruit. (Name composed of /JLVS, mouse, and ofo, ear, from the short and 

 soft leaves in some species.) 



* Calyx open in fruit, its hairs appressed, none of them hooked or glandular. 



1. M. scoupiolnEs L. (TRUE F.) Perennial; stems ascending from an 

 oblique creeping base, 3-7 dm. high, loosely branched, smoothish; leaves 



