BOEAGIKE^. 381 



leaves obovate or oblong, narrowed at the base into long stalks ; the upper 

 cues more shortly stalked, and narrower. Flowers on long pedicels, droop- 

 ing, of a clear blue or sometimes white ; the dark anthers very prominent in 

 the centre. 



In waste grounds, indigenous to the east Mediterranean region, but, long 

 cultivated in European gardens, it has become naturalized iu many parts of 

 central and western Europe, and is said to be fully established in severEil 

 counties of England. Fl. all summer. 



X. ASPSRUGO. ASPERTJGO. 



A single species, allied to Alkanet, but universally admitted as a genus 

 on account of the pecuhar calyx and habit. 



1. Gerxnau Asperugo. Asperugo procurabens, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 661. Madwort.) 



A weak procumbent annual, rough with short, stifl", almost prickly hairs, 

 many of them curved or hooked so as to be very adhesive. Leaves oblong 

 or lanceolate, narrowed at tlie base, the lower ones stalked, those uuder the 

 flowers often nearly opposite. Flowers small and blue, 1 to 3 together in 

 the axils of the upper leaves, on very short, recurved pedicels. The broadly 

 campanulate calyx enlarges immediately after flowering, becomes much flat- 

 tened, veined, and divided to the middle into 5 lanceolate lobes, with 1 or 2 

 small ones between each. Corolla that of a very small Alkanet. Nuts 

 ovoid, witli a granulated surface. 



In cultivated and waste places, over nearly the whole of Europe and 

 northern Asia short of the Arctic Circle. Occurs as a weed of cultivation 

 in many parts of England and southern Scotland, but not recorded from 

 Ireland. Fl. summer. 



XI. HOUND'S-TONGUE. CYNOGLOSSUM. 



Stout, erect biennials, clothed with rough hairs, which are, however, more 

 appressed and hoary than in most Boragineous plants ; with long, narrow 

 leaves, and rather small, blue or purplish-red flowers, in simple or forked, 

 one-sided racemes. Calyx deeply 5-cleft. CoroUa with a short tube, closed 

 at the moutli by prominent scales, and a spreading, 5-lobed, regular hmb. 

 Nuts rather large, depressed, attached laterally to the base of the style, and 

 covered with short, hooked prickles, so as to make them very adhesive 

 burs. 



A European and Asiatic genus, rather numerous in species, especially if 

 considered as including the Uttle blue-flowered Omphalodes and the white- 

 flowered C. linifolium. These two species, formerly frequent in our flower- 

 gardens, are however sometimes distinguished with some others as a genus 

 by the nuts, which instead of being muricated aU over, have a raised, more 

 or less toothed border. 



Leaves hoary with rather soft appressed hairs. Flowers dull purple-red 1. Common M^ 

 Leaves green, rough with scattered hairs. Flowers bluish-purple . . 2. G-reen H. 



1. Common Hound's-tongue. Cjmoglossum officinale, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 921.) 

 Stem stout, erect, and branched, about 2 feet high, with rough hairs. 



