rVLMONASIJ, OR LUXGirOHT. 47 



leaves are of a glaucous hue, the flower-lnids pink, ehang- 

 mff as they expand to rich blue. As the leaves emit an 

 oddur suggestive of oystevs, and have a tnucli df nyster 

 flavour, it is sometimes called the oyster plant. Td grow 

 this jilant a sandy soil is needed, and it must he protected 

 against damji hy being Iwnked up with a liUle heap of 

 small stones. The Virginian cowslip {J'. 1 iri/'/iiirn') is a 

 plant of bold haliit, flowering early, flic flowci-s a clear pale 

 blue. A more striking plant, but flowering later, is the 

 paniclcd luni;'worf (P. /;(////''///(///^), whi(di needs a soniewliat 

 shaded position on the rockerv. When in flower i( ])re- 

 sents many shades of sparkling red, purple, and pale blue, 

 and is quite a gem in its way. The Siberian lungwort 

 (P. Da/iiiric(i)\s a graceful plant rising above the tufted roek 

 plants, and producing fine clusters of blue flowers in the 

 month of May. In searching for any of these in the 

 books it will be well to bear in mind that some of them are 

 classed under the genus Meiieiis'ni, a distinction depending 

 on the relative length of the stamens. 



A Hue companion plant to these blue borage worts is 

 Oiioxiiiii fiiiiricii, a handsome tufted ])lant bearing large 

 yellow flowers in the early summer. It may be likened to 

 a yellow comfrey, but it is distinct and more refined. 



^Ve have not seen the lungwort used in the preparation 

 of a cool tankard, but it would probablv answer as AV(dl, 

 being equally nitrous with borage. It has lono- enjoyed 

 some kind of repute as a pot-herli, lieing eommonly I'ooked 

 and eaten in the north and in some parts of Scotland. It 

 i.s the jieculiar characteristie of the Ijorage tribe to contain 

 a notable quantity of nitre, and there is no doubt a direct 

 connection between this and their fre(pient production of 

 blue flowers. The common borage in ancient times ranlceJ 



