Borraginacecz L ithospermum. 323 



Stamens included. Nuts 4, very hard and bony, smooth or 

 rugose. There are about fifty species, scattered over Europe, 

 North Asia, and North America. The name is a compound 

 of \l0os, a stone, and oTrsp/jLa, a seed, in reference to the stony 

 carpels or nuts. There are three indigenous species : L. 

 ojjficinale, Gromwell, is an erect perennial with small yellowish 

 white flowers and smooth white nuts ; and L. arvense is an 

 erect branching annual with yellowish white flowers and grey 

 wrinkled nuts. The third species is 



1. L. pwyoureo-cceruleiim. This is a handsome perennial 

 with creeping barren and erect flowering stems about a foot 

 high. Leaves scabrid, small, sessile, linear-lanceolate. Flowers 

 about 8 lines in diameter, purple and blue, appearing in 

 Summer. A rare plant in Britain, being confined to a few 

 localities on limestone and chalk hills in the South. 



2. L. prostratum, syn. L. fruticosum. A shrubby evergreen 

 trailer with narrow lanceolate hairy leaves and beautiful deep 

 blue flowers striped with reddish violet. This is one of the most 

 effective dwarf plants in cultivation. It is a native of the 

 South of Europe, and produces its handsome blossoms from 

 May till July. 



L. Gastoni is another handsome species of this group. 



7. MYOSGTIS, 



Annual or perennial herbs more or less hispidly hairy. Radi- 

 cal leaves petiolate ; cauline sessile, oblong or lanceolate. 

 Flowers in scorpioid cymes or racemes, with or without bracts. 

 Calyx-tube equalling or exceeding the 5-lobed limb. Corolla 

 funnel-shaped, with 5 notched scales in the throat. Stamens 

 included. Nuts 4, very small, and usually smooth and glossy. 

 The species of this genus are found in the temperate .regions 

 of both hemispheres. The name is from //,>$, mouse, and ovs, 

 QDTOS, ear, from the resemblance of the soft hairy leaves of some 

 species. We have eight indigenous species, popularly known by 

 the names of Forget-me-not and Scorpion Grass. The follow- 

 ing enumeration includes the best of them. 



1. M. palustris. Forget-ine-not. A perennial species 

 growing in wet marshy places and on the borders of ditches 

 Leaves bright glossy green, oblong or spathulate, upper slightly 

 decurrent. Flowers sky-blue with a yellow centre. One of 

 the loveliest members of the native flora, producing its pretty 



Y 2 



