ANCHUSA 



FOBGET-ME-NOT OBDEB 



PULMONARIA 675 



ANCHUSA (Alkanbt).— This genus 

 contains about 30 species of more or less 

 roughly hairy or perennial herbs, only a 

 few of which are of garden value. Leaves 

 alternate. Flowers in crosier like ra- 

 cemes, drooping, blue, violet, or white. 

 Calyx with 5 usually narrow lobes. 

 Corolla tube straight, cylindrical, throat 

 closed with hairs or scales, lobes 5 im- 

 bricate, blunt, spreading. Stamens 5. 

 Nutlets 4, obliq^ue or incurved. 



Culture <md Propagation. — Anchusas 

 grow readily in ordinary soil in sunny 

 situations, and are easily increased by 

 seeds sown in spring in sandy soil, or 

 by division of the tufts in the case of 

 perennials in early autumn or spring. 



A. capensis. — A pretty S. African 

 biennial with simple hairy stems about 

 1^ ft. high, and linear - lance - shaped 

 hairy leaves. Flowers in July, blue, in 

 racemose panicles at the ends of the 

 branches. 



Culture de. as above. The seeds of 

 this rather tender species may be sown 

 in August or September, the seedlings 

 being wintered in a cold frame or green- 

 house and planted out the following May. 

 The seeds may also be sown in gentle 

 heat early in spring, and the seedlings 

 pricked out and hardened off so as to be 

 fit for the open border in May. 



A. italica (A. azurea; A. panioulata). 

 A strong - growing Caucasian species 

 3-4 ft. high, with lance-shaped entire 

 shining leaves, the lower ones sometimes 

 2 ft. long. Flowers in simimer, bright 

 blue or purple, in panioled racemes. 



This is one of the best species and 

 may be increased by seeds or division. 

 A. hytrida is a biennial about iJ ft. high, 

 similar in appearance to A. italica, but 

 it has rich violet flowers in spikes 1 ft. or 

 more long. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



A. sempervirens. — A perennial species 

 1^2 ft. high, found naturalised in parts 

 of the British Islands. Leaves broadly 

 ovate, lower ones stalked. Flowers in 

 May, rich blue, with a very hairy calyx, 

 and borne in short axillary spikes, usually 

 leafy at the base. 



There are a few other species occa- 

 sionally seen, chiefly in botanical collec- 

 tions, but the Anchusas as a whole are 

 not of great value as garden plants. 



Culture do. as above. 



PULMONARIA (Lungwort).— A 

 genus containing 4 or 5 species of hairy 

 perennial herbs with large stalked radical 

 leaves, and few alternate oauline ones, 

 all usually spotted with white. Flowers 

 pedicellate, blue or rosy-purple, the lower 

 ones or nearly all bracteate, in terminal 

 bifid cymes. Calyx shortly or as far as 

 the middle 5-cleft, angular. Corolla 

 fannel-shaped, with a cylindrical tube, 5 

 broad blunt spreading lobes, and 5 tufts 

 of hair alternating with the 5 stamens. 

 Nutlets 4. 



Culture and Propagation. — Pulmo- 

 narias grow well in any ordinary soil and 

 delight in shady places in wild or rough 

 parts of the garden. They are chiefly 

 increased by dividing the established 

 clumps in early spring. Seeds, however, 

 may be sown when ripe or in spring in 

 the open ground in places where the plants 

 are to blossom ; or in prepared parts of 

 the border from which the seedlings may 

 afterwards be transplanted in mild show- 

 ery weather in early autumn or spring; 



P. ang^stifolia (Blue Cowslip). — A 

 rare British species about 1 ft. high, with 

 more or less oblong lance-shaped leaves, 

 6-10 in. long, often spotted with pale 

 green and covered with soft downy hairs. 

 Flowers from April to June, dimorphic, 

 J in. across, pink, then bright blue, in 

 twin capitate racemes. 



Culture do. as above. 



P. mollis. — A Siberian species about 

 9 in. high. Lower leaves more or less 

 elliptic lanoe-shaped, deourrent into a 

 broadly winged stalk, upper leaves ovate 

 lanoe-shaped, half stem-clasping. Flowers 

 in April and May, blue, corolla tube 

 shorter than the calyx. 



Culture dc. as above. 



P. officinalis (Sage of Bethlshem). — A 

 British and European species about 1 ft. 

 high. Lower leaves ovate heart-shaped, 

 upper ones ovate oblong sessile, spotted 

 with white. Flowers in spring, at first 

 red, afterwards violet. There is a white- 

 flowered variety called alha. 



Culture dc. as above. 



P. saccharata. — A native of Europe 

 about 1 ft. high. Lower leaves elliptic 

 oval, decurrent into short stalks, upper 

 ones stalkless ovate oblong, all spotted 

 with white. Flowers in June, pink. 



CiMure dc. as above. 



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