5Tn6enESIA: POLYGAMIA FRUSTRANEA. 4^9 



Blue-bottles. Avgih. 



Blue bonnets: Scott s mijimh 



In corn fields not uncommon. O. Vll. 



The whole plant is jQightly cover'd with a cotton 

 down : the ftaik is a yard high, ered, hard, an- 

 gular, and branch'd towards the top ; thfe lower 

 leaves arc either indented, ©r pinnatifid, the ex- 

 treme fegment being largell: and elliptical : the 

 upper ones are narrow and linear : each branch 

 is terminated with a fpecious blue flower : the 

 fcales of the calyx are triangular, of a pale 

 green, or whitilh colour, their edges fufcous, 

 torn of- lerrated, and ciliated with white hairs : 

 the barren florers which compofe the rays of tire 

 flower, grow horizontal, are comm-anly nine in 

 number, remarkably large, obliquely funnel- 

 (hap'd, and cut Into fix, feven^ or eight broad 

 ferratures at the rim. The filaments below the 

 Anthers are furrounded with a hairy ring. The 

 ftyle is barb'd beneath the fligma. 

 The flowers are received as an ornament in the 

 garden, and vary much in colour, being not 

 only blue, but white, purple, flefh- coloured, 

 and variegated. 

 The neutral florets infufed in water, or any fpi-- 

 rituous liquor, give it a beautiful blue colour, 

 which being mixed with an acid^ turns red, with 

 an alkali^ green : a fine colour is alfo prepared 

 from them for the ufe of painting, by drying 

 them firft into cakes, in a hair-fieve in an oven 

 after the manner of drying faffron, See Gentle- 



marfs Magazine^ 174^, March, 



K k 2 The 



