114 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



refrigerating property to the juice. The leaves impart a pleasant coolness to beve- 

 rages in which they are infused, and are still an ingrgdient in several favourite drinks, 

 such as "cool tankard," "cider cup," "claret cup," &,c. The leaves when boiled 

 may be entire like spinal, and are wholesome and rather agreeable in flavour. The 

 young tops are occasionally put in salads. 



The name of the plant has been the subject of much philological enquiry. The 

 derivation given as that of the generic name, from Comtgo, is generally received, and 

 it is believed oui" modern word Borage is but a corruption of it. With several other 

 closely allied plants, it was called Bugloss by the early herbalists, a contraction of 

 ftoiiyXwtraov, the old Greek name for one of these herbs, which was probably given 

 from the roughness of the leaves, and their shape resembling the tongue of an ox. 

 The notion of its having power to dispel melancholy and exhilarate the mind, seems 

 to have been universally prevalent, for even the Welsh name Llawenlys signifies 

 " herb of gladness." Bees are extremely fond of the flowers of the Borage, which 

 abound in honey ; it is therefore very desirable to grow it in gardens where they are 

 kept. The plant requires no cultivation ; when once introduced it always propagates 

 readily by seed, and is not often injured by the frost. Though naturally a biennial, 

 it often flowers the first j'ear when cultivated in the garden. 



GENUS F///.— SYMPHYTUM. Towmef. 



Calj'x 5-cleft or 5-partite. Corolla regular or nearly so, cylindrical- 

 clavate; tlu'oat with 5 lanceolate acute scales; limb erect, subcam- 

 panulate, 5-toothecl. Stamens exserted beyond the corolla tube, but 

 included in the limb; anthers with short filaments, not apendiculate, 

 not connivent ronnd the style. Nucules ovoid, smooth, sunk in and 

 attached to the fiat receptacle by a concave surface. 



Soft or bristly-hispid herbs, with succulent stems. Flowers in 

 scorpioid racemes arranged in pairs, usually with opposite leaves at 

 their base. Corolla large, yellow, blue, purple, red, or Avhite. 



The name of this genus of plants is derived from the Greek word av^<^'va, to 

 unite, because the species are sujiposed to agglutinate the lips of wounds. 



SPECIES I— SYMPHYTUM OFFICINALE. Linn. 



Plates MCXV. MCXVI. 



Belch. Ic. Fl. Germ. et. Helv. Vol. XVIH. Tab. MCCCni. Fig. 1. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 2887. 



Rootstock vertical, passing insensibly into the thick fleshy root, 

 which divides into large branches. Stem very thick, branched, 

 strongly winged above. Leaves ovate or lanceolate, the upper ones, 

 especially the pair at the base of the racemes, strongly decurrent and 

 lanceolate. Calyx segments triangular-lanceolate, acuminated, divided 

 nearly to the base, in fruit submuricatcd on the central line of each 

 segment, with stiff prickle-liko bristles seated on large tubercles. 



