206 BORRAGINACE^. Omsmodium. 



inches long), passing into ovate bracts (at length an inch or two long) : leafy-racemose inflo- 

 rescence in age elongated, many-flowered : pedicels 4 or 6 lines long : calyx parted to the base 

 into narrow linear lobes (often an inch long) : corolla narrowly trumpet-shaped, 2 inches 

 long, whitish and densely villous outside, yellow inside ; the lobes oblong-ovate, obtuse, 

 nearly equalled by the erect anthers. — Macromeria viridijlora, Torr. Bot. Mex. Bound. 139, 

 not DC, according to Ic. Mex. t. 904, which has broadly subcordate-ovate and acute corolla- 

 lobes, giving the appearance of " excised sinuses," shorter and versatile anthers, &c. — New 

 Mexico, Thurber, Bigelow, Wright. Arizona, in dry woods, Rothrock. The portions of base 

 of the corolla lobes which are interior in the bud are rouadish-auriculate. 

 § 2. Onosmodium proper. Corolla seldom twice the length of the calyx ; the 

 lobes somewhat conduplicate in the bud ; the sinuses gibbous-inflexed : filaments 

 shorter (in our species very much shorter) than the mostly sagittate glandular- 

 mucronulate or acuminate anthers : leaves pinnately nervose-ribbed. — Onos- 

 modium, Michx. 



O. Bejariense, DC. Stems 1 to 3 feet high, rather stout, hispid with spreading bristles : 

 leaves oblong-lanceolate, 5-7-ribbed (the lower obtuse, upper acutish); upper surface 

 appressed strigose-hispid, the lower more or less canescent with fine and soft pubescence : 

 flowers short-pedicelled : corolla funnelform (6 to 9 lines long), about twice the length of 

 the calyx, white ; the greenish ovate-triangular acuminate lobes about one quarter the 

 length of the tube, minutely pubescent externally and with some long hirsute hairs. — 

 Prodr. X. 70. 0. Carolinianum, Torr. Bot. Mex. Bound. 1. c, not DC. — Border of thickets, 

 nearly throughout Texas ; first coll. by Berlandier. 

 O. Carolinianum, DC, 1- c. Stout, 2 or 3 feet high, shaggy-hispid : leaves ovate-lan- 

 ceolate and oblong-lanceolate, acute, 5-9-ribbed, generally hairy both sides : flowers nearly 

 sessile : corolla short (4 or 6 lines long), yellowish-white, oblong-funnelform ; its ovate- 

 triangular acute lobes very hairy outside, and nearly half the length of the tube. — Litho- 

 spermum Carolinianum, Lam. 111. & Diet. Suppl. ii. 837. Purshia mollis, Lehra. Asper. 383. — 

 Alluvial grounds, Upper Canada to Georgia and Texas. 



Var. molle. A foot or two high ; the pubescence shorter and less spreading or 

 appressed : leaves mostly smaller (about 2 inches long), when young softly strigose-canes- 

 cent beneath.— Onosmodium molle, Michx. Fl. i. 133, t. 15 ; Gray, Man. ed. 5, 302. Purshia 

 mollis, Lehm. Asper. 382. — Illinois to Saskatcliewan, Utah, and Texas. 

 O. Virginianum, DC, 1- c. Strigulose-hispid throughout with mostly appressed short 

 bristly hairs : stems rather slender, a foot or two high, often paniculate : leaves narrowly 

 oblong or somewhat lanceolate, obtuse (1 to 2| inches long), 3-5-ribbed : corolla yellowish, 

 small (4 lines long) ; the lobes lanceolate-subulate, sparingly long-bristly outside, little 

 shorter than the cylindraceous tube. — 0. hispidum, Michx. 1. c. Purshia hispida, Lehm. 1. c. 

 Lithospermum Virginianum, L. — Hillsides and banks, New England to Florida and Louisiana. 

 The specific names conferred by Michaux on this and the preceding species were replaced 

 in the Prodromus by earlier ones under Lidwspermum ; which may be agreed to, Michaux's 

 0. hispidum being far less hispid than 0. Carolinianum, and 0. molle is a misnomer except for 

 the western variety (which cannot be separated) on which Michaux's specieS is founded. 



19. S^^MPHYTUM, Tourn. Comfret. (Ancient Greek and Latin 

 name.) — Coarse perennial herbs ; with large and thick bitterish roots, mucilagi- 

 nous juice, and loose or nodding racemose flower-clusters : bracts small or none. 

 Fl. early summer. All of the Old World. 



S. OFFICINALE, L. (Comfret.) Two or 3 feet high from very thick roots, branching, 

 rather soft-hirsute : cauline leaves long-decurrent on the branches, ovate-lanceolate and 

 narrower, large : corolla yellowish-white, half inch long : style exserted : nutlets wrinkled 

 or almost smooth. — Escaped from gardens into moist grounds sparingly in N.Atlantic 

 States. (Nat. from Eu.) 



S. ASPERRiMUM, Sims, a Caucasian species, with almost prickly stems, very scabrous leaves, 

 and blue-purple flowers, is cultivated both as an ornamental and as a forage plant, and is not 

 unlikely to run wild. 



