224 LITHOSPERMUM. [class v. order i. 



Perennial ; flowering in May and June. 



The hardness of the pericarps in this genus is very remarkable, much 

 resembling both in brittleness and lustre globules of porcelain, and 

 upon examination are found to contain a greater portion of earthy 

 matter than any other organised substance. According to Captain Le 

 Ilunte, as given in Hooker's British Flora, he found " the stony shells 

 of sixty seeds weighed upwards of seven grains. Heated to redness 

 these seven were reduced to three, of which four-tenths of a grain were 

 pure silica. There was also a considerable quantity of phosphate of 

 lime and iron." It was from the circumstance of the stony hardness 

 of the nuts that the ancients esteemed this plant as a cure for stone and 

 gravelly diseases; and it is still used as a diuretic and solvent 

 by the country dames, in their infusions and diet drinks; but what- 

 ever relief may be obtained by its use is doubtless from the quantity 

 of fluid which is taken, and not from any beneficial lithontriptic pro- 

 perties which it possesses. 



2. L. arven'se, Linn. (Fig. 292.) Corn Gromtvell, or Bastard Alka- 

 net. Stem erect, branched, leaves lanceolate, acute, hairy, the lower 

 petiolated and obtuse, nuts rough and wrinkled. 



English Botany, t. 123. — English Flora, vol. i. p. 256. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 99. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 164. 



MoH small, tapering, its bark a deep red. The whole plant thickly 

 covered with close pressed hairs, arising from callous tubercles. Stem 

 round, or striated, trora one to two leet high, or higher, branched 

 above, seldom below. Leaves alternate, lanceolate, acute, single 

 ribbed, very hairy, each hair swollen or tuberculated at the base, the 

 lower leaves oblong, lanceolate, obtuse on foot-stalks, the upper lanceo- 

 late, acute, sessile. IvT-r-'p-vce a terminal raceme at first compact 

 incurved, becoming mucu elongated. Flowers from the axis of the 

 leaves, on short stalks. Calyx of five narrow segments, becoming 

 much larger when in fruit, and spreading. Corolla white, funnel- 

 shaped, the tube rather longer than the calyx, hairy, the limb of five 

 obtuse lobes, each having at its base a small hairy protuberance. 

 Stainens about the middle of the tube. Stirjma bifid. Fruit four, 

 spreading obnvate. Nuts shining, pitted, and wrinkled. 



Habitat. — Corn fields and waste places ; frequent. 



Annual ; flosvering in May and June. 



The flower is very small, mostly white, or liglit buff. A variety is 

 said to have been found with blue flowers, as well here as the con- 

 tinent, where the species is equally common as with us. 



3. L. purpuro-ccbru'leum, Linn. (Fig. 293.) Creeping or Purple 

 Gromwell. Stems erect,scarcely branched. The barren ones prostrate, 

 leaves lanceolate, acute, corolla much longer than the calyx. Nuts 

 smooth. 



