120 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



This has very much the appearance of the green-leaved varieties of 

 C. officinale, but it is a more slender plapt, with the stem somewhat 

 flexuous, 1 to 2 feet high ; stem leaves not nearly so numerous, larger, 

 and much broader, the intermediate ones narrowed above the dilated 

 and closping base, and having much the shape of those of Hieracium 

 prenanthoides, green an both sides, and thinly clothed with hairs seated 

 on tubercles, which make them feel rough to the touch. The flowers 

 wlien expanded ai"e about ^ inch across, dull blue, with reddish veins. 

 The calyx segments are much narrower, and elongate much more in 

 fi'uit. The nucules are about the same size, but have not the pro- 

 minent border of those of C. officinale, and the fruiting racemes are 

 usually more lax. 



Green-leaved Ilound^s Tongue. 



Frcncli, Ci/nor/hsse de moutagne. German, Berg-Himdzunje. 



GENUS X.—A S P E R U G O. Toumef. 



Calyx when in flower nearly regular, deeply 5-cleft, in fruit 2-lobed, 

 Avith the lobes valvate, closed, flattish, palmately laciniate, the one 6 and 

 the other 7-toothed. Corolla funnelshaped-salvershaped ; the throat 

 closed by 5 obtuse scales ; limb concave, 5-lobed. Stamens included. 

 Nucules laterally compressed, nearly smooth with raised dots, attached 

 by tlieir narrow inner edge to the conical receptacle. 



A rough herb with fragile juicy stems, and small axillary purplish 

 blue flowers. Calyx much enlarged and veined in fi'uit, somewhat 

 like the perianth of the female flowers of the genus Atriplex. 



The derivation of tlie name of this genus of plants is from Asper, rough, on account 

 of the rough leaves and stems of the species. 



SPECIES I.— A SPERUGO PROCUMBENS. Linn. 



Plate MCXX. 



Seich, Ic. PI. Gall, et Germ, et Helv. Vol. XVIII. Tab. MCCXXVU. 

 Billot, n. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 1275. 



The only kno^vn species. 



In waste places and cultivated ground. Rare, and very doubtfully 

 native, though it has occurred in many places, but is apparently not 

 persistent in any locality. I have gathered it near Carnoustie in 

 Forfarshire, and at Port Mahomack on the Dornoch Firth. 



[England, Scotland.] Annual. Spring, Summer. 



Stems 1 to 3 feet long, procumbent or trailing, succulent, brittle, 

 angular, thinly studded with reflexed prickles, by which they readily 



