CHOICE HAEDY BOEDEE, PLANTS. 



39 



soil, or iu peat. A. Napellus, the Common Monks- 

 hood, is one of the very best, growing three feet in 

 height ; flowers dark blue, produced in summer, and 

 doing well on ordinary borders. But it is such a 

 frightfully poisonous plant that many will not grow 

 it, preferring to destroy it, and one authority states 

 it should never be grown in a vegetable garden. 

 The juice of the leaves and the root are both highly 

 injurious, and it is stated that instances are known 

 where persons, having taken the effluvia of the plant 

 in full flower by the nostrils, have been seized with 

 swooning fits, and lost their sight for three or 

 four days. Cases are mentioned where deaths have 

 ensued owing to the root of the plant being used 

 under the impression it was Horse-radish. A. pani- 

 mlatum is the Panicled Monkshood, a tall and hand- 

 some kind, four feet in height, flowers blue and 

 white, produced in lata summer; does best in a 

 peaty soU. A. variegatum is the Variegated-flowered 

 Monkshood, a stately plant, four feet in height; 

 flowers sky-blue, variegated with white. While this 

 does well in any garden soil, it is also useful for 

 forcing, and, like most of the Monkshoods, can be 

 readily increased by division of the roots. 



Ajuga [tlie Common Bugle). — Whence the generic 

 name of this plant was derived is uncertain, but it is 

 said, not improbably, from ad and juga, to yoke or 

 unite together, for of its healing properties it was 

 said : " Beyond sea in France and G-ermany, it is a 

 common proverbe that they neede neither physician 

 to cure their inward diseases, nor chirurgion to helpe 

 them of any wound or sore, that have this Bugle at 

 hand by them for us6." This was said of the Common 

 Bugle, Ajuga reptans. The English name Bugle is 

 of very uncertain origin ; it may be from the Latin 

 hweo, " wide mouthed," which is a character of the 

 flowers. Bugula was the generic name of these 

 plants used by all the old herbalists, and is regarded 

 as a diminutive of ahuga, one of the various spell- 

 ings of a word given by Pliny as corresponding to 

 a Greek word variously written as abiga, ajitga, 

 iva, &c. Ajuga reptans is a common plant known 

 everywhere in Britain ; plentiful in fields ; flowers 

 blue, rarely white; produced all the summer in 

 whorls in the axils of the leaves, on erect stems. 

 There is a variety of this with claret-coloured leaves 

 that is often employed as a very useful edging plant 

 in the flower garden. Then there is a fine variety 

 called purpurea, with larger and deeper-coloured 

 purple blossoms. A. alpina is the Alpine Bugle, 

 with pale blue flowers ; it is f oimd on mountains and 

 pastures in wet situations, and is rare. There has 

 recently been introduced to English gardens a very 

 fine variety of this, known as A. alpina SroekbanH, 

 a new and very desirable flowering plant, having 



deep blue flowers, and dark claret-coloured foliage. 

 A. genemnsis is the Geneva Bugle ; a dwarf, hairy 

 perennial, flowers blue ; produced in summer, in 

 whorls forming handsome spikes. A. pyramidalis 

 is very nearly allied to this. The former produces 

 erect spikes of the deepest blue, and has a com- 

 pact habit of growth. The Ajugas are easily grown 

 in any ordinary soil, and quickly increased by 

 division. 



Anchusa, or Bughss. — The Anchusas are all 

 hardy plants, and comprehend annuals, biennials, 

 and perennials. The generic name is supposed to be 

 derived from the Greek anchousa, a cosmetic and 

 paint obtained from the root of the Alkanet, Anchusa 

 tinctoria. Buglossis from the Latin Jwi^fossB," tongue," 

 descriptive of the shape and rough surface of the 

 leaves. Alkanet is said by Parkinson to be a cor- 

 ruption of its French name Orchanette ; but the real 

 derivation of the name is supposed to be from the 

 Arabic name al-chennah, the colouring matter with 

 which Eastern ladies impart a red tint to their nails. 

 The Evergreen Alkanet is Anchusa sempermvens, 

 native of Western Europe (naturalised in Britain) ; 

 the roots of this yield a reddish dye, but very infe- 

 rior to that obtained from the A. tinctoria. Alkanet 

 is a dye-drug obtained from several plants of this 

 family, and it is extensively used by dyers, by drug- 

 gists, by perfumers, " and by vintners for colouring 

 adulterated wines, of which spurious port contains a 

 considerable quantity." 



The Bugloss has been made the emblem of false- 

 hood, because the roots of one of its species are used 

 in making rouge for the face. In the wilds of 

 America the Indians paint their bodies red with the 

 roots of a Bugloss [Anchusa virginica) indigenous to 

 their country. 



The best known is Anchusa italica; this is the 

 Italian Alkanet, and is a very handsome, vigorous, 

 and showy plant; the flowers are of a beautiful 

 blue hue, and are produced in early summer. It is 

 a native of France and Italy, and does well in 

 ordinary garden soil, being propagated bj' division 

 of the roots, and by seed. It is a plant that should 

 be largely grown by persons who keep bees, as they 

 appear to be very fond of it. A. angusiifolia produces 

 bright blue flowers ; A. incarnata, dark blue blossoms. 

 All the foregoing aie true perennials. A bieimial 

 form, named capensis, a native of the Cape of Good 

 Hope, makes a pretty garden plant, and can easily 

 be grown from seed. They do well in the garden 

 border. The beautiful blue of the Anchusas makes 

 them great favourites in the garden. 



Antennaria {Oafs-foot). — This is a small genus 

 belonging to the Gnaphaliums, and so named from 



