EEITEICHIUM 



FOBGET-ME-NOT OBDEB 



SYMPHYTUM 673 



ERITRICHIUM.— Agenus contain- 

 ing about 70 species of annual or peren- 

 nial tufted, spreading, or creeping herbs. 

 Leaves alternate, or in a few species 

 opposite, often narrow. Calyx deeply 5- 

 lobed. Corolla tube short, or rarely 

 longer than the calyx, the throat often 

 crowned with 5 small scales ; lobes 5, 

 imbricate, obtuse, spreading. Stamens 5. 

 Ovary 4-lobed. Nutlets 4, or fewer by 

 abortion. 



E. barbigerum. — A pretty Californian 

 annual clothed with long spreading hairs, 

 and having lance-shaped leaves. Flowers 

 in summer and autumn, white, small, like 

 those of the Forget-me-not, in crosier-like 

 cymes. 



Culture and Propagation. — ^Seeds of 

 this species may be sown in patches in 

 the rockery in April where the plants are 

 to bloom, afterwards thinning the seedlings 

 out. 



E. nanum. — A lovely dwarf tufted 

 alpine, 2-3 in. high, with linear obovate 

 leaves covered with long silky- white hairs, 

 the lower leaves forming dense rosettes 

 above the withered and persistent foli- 

 age of previous years. Flowers in sum- 

 mer, bright sky-blue, with a yellowish 

 centre, like those of Myosotis alpestris, 

 but larger, and appearing just above the 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species is the one most generally grown. 

 It flourishes in fibrous loam and peat in 

 sunny exposed parts of the rockery, where 

 it may be propped up by pieces of lime- 

 stone or sandstone so as to keep the silky 

 leaves off the wet soil. While requiring 

 abundance of water, it must not, however, 

 be grown in badly drained soil. In wet 

 cold winters it is well to protect it with a 

 sheet of glass as the leaves retain moisture 

 longer than is good for them during that 

 period. Plants may be raised from seeds 

 sown in spring in gentle heat, or by 

 division of the tufts in early spring. 



E. nothofulvum. — This is a Californian 

 annual very much like the common For- 

 get-me-not in appearance. It produces 

 masses of white sweet-scented flowers. 



Culture do. as for B. strictum. 



_ E. strictum. — A rather pretty little 

 Himalayan annual 9-12 in. high, with 

 tufts of leaves resembling those of the 

 Forget-me-not. The stems are very much 

 branched, and end in long racemes of 



small bright blue flowers which last for 

 a considerable period in summer. 



Culture amd Propagation. — This 

 species flourishes in any garden soil and 

 may be used for massing lUie the Forget- 

 me-nots. Seeds may be sown when ripe, 

 or in spring in the open border where the 

 plants are to blossom. 



SYMPHYTUM (Comeeby).— Agenus 

 containing about 16 species of rather 

 coarse-growing erect often hairy herbs, 

 sometimes with tuberous roots. Leaves 

 alternate or mostly radical ; cauline ones 

 sometimes decurrent, the uppermost ones 

 sometimes very close together and almost 

 opposite. Flowers yellowish, blue, or 

 purple, in branched cymes or simple one- 

 sided crosier-like racemes. Calyx 5- lobed 

 or parted. CoroUa broadly tubular, 

 widened above, with 5 scales in the 

 throat; lobes 5, very short, erect, tooth- 

 like, or scarcely spreading ; stamens 5. 

 Ovary distinctly 4-lobed. Nutlets 4, 

 obliquely ovoid. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 

 species described below flourish in almost 

 any soil or situation and are chiefly use- 

 ful for naturalising in open sunny grassy 

 places or banks, or even under trees where 

 there is plenty of Ught and air. They are 

 easily increased by seeds sown in the open 

 ground or in cold frames when ripe, or in 

 spring. The seedlings may be trans- 

 planted in showery weather. The plants 

 may also be increased by division of the 

 rootstocks in early autumn or in spring. 



S. asperrimum {PricMy Comfrey ; 

 Trottles). — A vigorous Caucasian peren- 

 nial 4-6 ft. high, clothed with short sharp 

 prickles, and having broad, very rough 

 and hairy, ovate heart-shaped leaves taper- 

 ing to a point. Flowers in summer, red 

 in bud, blue after opening, beU-shaped, 

 downy outside. 



This rampant grower is excellent for 

 the rougher or wilder parts of the garden 

 and may be increased from seeds or by 

 division. The variety aureo-va/riegatum 

 has the leaves bordered with yellow. 



Culture do. as above. 



S. caucasicum. — A fine Caucasian 

 species about 3 ft. high, with ovate lance- 

 shaped hairy leaves, the lower ones 

 narrowed into long stalks, the upper ones 

 nearly opposite and shortly decurrent at 

 the sides of the stem. Flowers in, sum- 

 mer, blue, bell-shaped, the coroUa some- 

 times 8 times longer than the bluntly 



