Lithospermum.] LIIL BORAGINE.E. 811 



parts of North America. Common in England and Ireland, but rare 

 in Scotland. Fl. spring and summer. 



3. L. purpureo-cseruleum, Linn. (fig. 698). Creeping G. Stock 

 perennial, with procumbent, leafy stems, often 2 feet long or more, and 

 shorter ascending or nearly erect flowering stems, ending in a leafy 

 forked cyme. Leaves lanceolate and hairy. Flowers nearly sessile, of 

 a rich blue, rather large, but usually shorter than the leaves ; the calyx 

 segments narrow. Nuts smooth and shining. 



In thickets and open woods, in central and southern Europe, from 

 the Atlantic to the Caucasus. Rare in Britain, and only in Wales and 

 some of the southern counties of England. Fl. summer. 



V. MYOSOTIS. MYOSOTE. 



Annual or perennial, low or rather weak herbs, with oblong or linear 

 stem-leaves ; the radical ones broader, shorter, and stalked ; the flowers 

 small, blue or white, in 1-sided racemes, either forked or simple, 

 without bracts at the base of the pedicels. Calyx 5-toothed or 5-cleft. 

 Corolla with a small, straight tube, half-closed at its mouth by 5 short 

 scales, and a spreading, flat or concave, 5-lobed limb. Stamens in- 

 cluded in the tube. Nuts smooth and shining, compressed or triangular 

 attached by their small base. 



A numerous genus in Europe and northern Asia, scarce in North 

 America, but reappearing in Australia. Although the characters which 

 separate it from Anchusa appear slight, it is very distinct in habit. 



Some exotic species are cultivated in our flower-gardens, together 

 with varieties of M. palustris, M. sylvatica, and M. collina. 



Calyx-teeth short or not divided beyond the middle. Hairs of the 



calyx appressed 1. M. paluttris. 



Calyx deeply cleft, the hairs spreading or hooked. 

 Pedicels as long or longer than the calyx, 3 to 6 inches long when 



in fruit 



Perennial with rather large flowers. Limb of the corolla flat . 2. M. tylvatica. 

 Annual or biennial, with small flowers. Limb of the corolla 



often concave 8. M. arventit. 



Pedicels not above a line long, usually shorter than the calyx. 



Annuals. 

 Stem ascending or branched from the base. Calyx usually 



open after flowering. Corolla always blue . . . . 4. M. cotti'na. 

 Stem erect, simple at the base. Calyx always closed after 



flowering. Corolla at first yellow, afterwards blue . . 5. M. vergicolor. 



1. M. palustris, With. (fig. 699). Water M., Forget-me-not. Perennial, 

 stock usually slightly creeping ; the stems weak, ascending, from 6 to 

 18 inches high, often nearly glabrous, but sometimes rather thickly 

 clothed with spreading hairs. Leaves glabrous or with appressed hairs. 

 Flowers of a bright clear blue, with a yellow eye, very variable in size, 

 but usually rather large for the genus. Calyx never divided below the 

 middle, whilst in all other British species it is deeply cleft. 



In wet ditches, and by the sides of streams, in Europe, Russian Asia, 

 N. India, and northern America, extending into the Arctic Circle. 

 Abundant in Britain. FL the whole summer. Modern botanists divide 

 it into three : the true Forget-me-not, which is often nearly glabrous, 

 with a broad flat corolla, and short broad teeth to the calyx ; M, repent. 



