198 COROLLIFLOR^ 



the name of Asperifolice, or Rough-leaved plants ; but the present 

 name of the Order is now preferred as being more comprehensive, 

 a few plants in it having perfectly smooth leaves. The Borage 

 Tribe are natives principally of the temperate regions of the 

 northern hemisphere, especially of the warmer parts, and are more 

 numerous in the Old than the New World. Most of them bear 

 their flowers in spikes or racemes, which are rolled up round the 

 terminal flowers as a centre, and expand a few at a time. The pre- 

 vailing colour is blue or purple, but many, when first opening, are 

 of a reddish hue, which subsequently deepens, so that it is not un- 

 usual to see flowers of different tints on the same spike. They 

 possess no remarkable properties, but abound in a soft mucilaginous 

 juice, which gives a coolness to beverages in which they are steeped, 

 on which account Borage is a constant ingredient in the various 

 forms of drink known as " cup." The roots of Alkanet and some 

 others contain a red substance which is used as a dye. Comfrey 

 (Symphytum officinale) is sometimes grown as an esculent vegetable, 

 but is little valued except as food for hors'es. The plants of the 

 genus Myosotis are popularly known by the n-ame " Forget-me-not." 

 The true Forget-me-not is M. Palustris. The fragrant Heliotrope, 

 or Cherry-pie, of our gardens belongs to a genus of this Order. 



1. EcHiuM (Viper's Bugloss). — Corolla irregular, with an open 

 mouth ; stamens unequal in length. (Name from the Greek, echio, 

 a viper, against the bite of which it was formerly considered an 

 antidote.) 



2. PuLMONARiA (Lungwort). — Calyx tubular, 5-cleft ; corolla 

 funnel-shaped, its throat naked ; stamens enclosed within the cor- 

 olla. (Name from the Latin, Piilmo, the lungs, which the spotted 

 leaves were supposed to resemble.) 



3. LiTHOSPERMUM (Gromwell). — Calyx deeply 5-cleft ; corolla 

 funnel-shaped, its throat naked, or with 5 minute scales ; filaments 

 short ; seeds stony. (Name from the Greek, lithos, a stone, and 

 sperma, seed, from the hardness of the seeds.) 



4. Mertensia (Smooth GromweU). — C^/y* deeply 5-cleft ; corolla 

 funnel-shaped ; filaments long ; seeds somewhat fleshy. (Name in 

 honour of M. Mertens, a German botanist.) 



5. SYMrHYTUM (Comfrey). — Calyx deeply 5-cleft ; corolla bell- 

 shaped, closed with 5 awl-shaped scales. |Name from the Greek, 

 symphyo, to unite, from its imagined healing qualities.) 



6. BoRAGO (Borage). — Calyx deeply 5-cleft ; corolla wheel- 

 shaped, its throat closed with 5 short, erect, notched scales ; stamens 

 forked. (Name, a corruption of corago, from cor, the heart, and ago, 

 to bring, from its use in stimulating drinks.) 



7. Lycopsis (Bugloss). — Calyx deeply 5-cleft ; corolla funnel- 



