BORAGINACE^. 1 1 5 



Corolla n1)0ut twice as loiif^ as tlio cal}x; scales included. Plant 

 clothed with short pubescence, intermixed with iiursh Inistly hairs, 

 few of fheui gland-tii)i)ed. 



Var. a, getuiiiiniii. 



ruTE Mcxiv. 



Coi-olla ochreous or more or less stained witii [)a\ti purple. 



Vur. 0, i>alciis. 

 PuviE MCXV. 

 S. patens, Sillh. Reich. Fl. Germ. Excurs. p. 317. 



Corolla bright dark purple. Leaves rather narrower, less decurrent, 

 and darker green; stems tougher and less succulent, and tlie branches 

 less spreading than in var. a. 



15\' the sides of streams and ditches, and other moist places, and by 

 ri)adsides. Very common, and generally distributed in England ; 

 var. a apparently the most abundant. In Scotland var. « appears to be 

 rare ; the only place where 1 have seen it is near llosyth Castle, in 

 rifeshirc; but var. 3 is more common, especially along the banks of 

 the Ksk, above JIusselburgh, also about Glen Devon and Dollar, Clack- 

 mannanshire, though doubtfully wild; in Aberdeenshire, Dr. Dickie 

 believes it to be introduced. In Ireland it is freipicnt and generally 

 distributed, but I am not aware whether either form is more abundant 

 th;m the other. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Spring, Autumn. 



Root of a number of thick fleshy tapering branches, smooth, black ex- 

 ternally, passing insensibly upwards into the many-headed rootstock. 

 Stems thick, succulent, angular, en'Ct or decumbent, 1 to ?> feet hi"-h, 

 clothed with spreading or slightly reflexed hairs seated on tubercles, 

 intermixed with smaller {)ubescence. Radical leaves large ; lamuia 5 to 

 i) inches long, abruptly contracted at the base into tlie rather long winged 

 petiole; stem leaves more and more shortly stalked from below up- 

 wardis, the uppermost quite sessile and strongly decurrent. Racemes 

 in pairs, with '2 oi)i)n.-«ite leaves at the base, terminating the stem and 

 .^hurt axillary branches, which are destitute of leaves, e.xcepthif the 

 aforesaid hair. Calyx about .', inch long in flower, increasing in fruit; 

 to from ;3 to '} inch, when the segments are connivent ami alnio t 

 imu'icated on the back. Corolla about } inch long, very variable in 

 colour, being sometimes ochreous, in which case it is yellow in bud, at 

 other times rich jnu-ple, when it is sometimes reddisli and sometimes 

 ])urple in bud. Nucules ovate-ovoid, attenuated towards the apex, 

 I inch long, luscous, bordered, wrinkled on the back, slightly roughened. 



q2 



