B O R 



chondra? m5{nrrfclimidia, cennthc 3. Fruit, four naked 

 fctvii ; lliroat of tlic corolh naked ; for tlic mod part herba- 

 ceous and roii^h. Coldeinia, hcliotropinm, ecliium, licho- 

 Ipcrmum, pulniunaria, onofma. 4. Fruit, four naked feeds ; 

 throat ol the corolla clofcd; herbaceous, and generally rough- 

 leaved. Symphytum, Ivcopiis, ir.yofoiis, anchufa, borago, 

 afperugo, cynocioiruin. Obf. Tlu- lall two divifi-jns would 

 more logicMlly hiive been thrown into one, with two fub- 

 tlivilions. Tliey conililutc Liiuux-us's natuial order, afpcri- 

 folii. 5. Alhed to the boraginex ; herbaceous. Nolana, 

 fip.'ionaalhus ? falkia, tlie connecling link between the bora- 

 gincE and corivolvoli. 



I-a Marck (I'lncyc.Method.) gives the boragineae a cha- 

 rnii^er which belongs almoll exclufively to the afpcnfolia; of 

 L.uuia:us. He has only three divifions : i. Four germs, or 

 one, four-parted ; the proper afprrifolix. 2. Five germs, or 

 one with five divilions ; nolana, monnicria, raputia. T!:e 

 natural fituation of the lall two was left undetermined by 

 Juflicu. 3. One undivided germ ; comprphcnding the firll 

 and Iccond divifion of JulTieu. He has placed this divifion 

 laft, apprehending, and furely not without reafon, that it 

 ought to form a dillinc\ order between the boraginex and 

 convolvoli. 



The bpragiufi compofe the twelfth family of the eighth 

 clafs of Venterat, in his " Tableau du rtgue vegetal." It 

 contain'! only the afperifolis, with the Linnxan charafter, 

 except that, in concurrence with Gxrtner, the fruit is con- 

 fidered as confilling of two or four nuts ; in the former cafe 

 each two-celled and two-fecded ; in the htter, each one- 

 celled and one-fecded ; the feeds attached either to the inner 

 fide or bafc of the nut by a filiform or capillary peduncle or 

 placenta. 



BORAGO (derivation of the name uncertain). Linn, 

 gen. 18S. Reich. 200. Schreb. 248. Wiild. 283. Juff. 

 131. Ga:rt. torn. i. 415. Smith Flor. Brit. 78. Clafs, 

 frr.tanilria monody iiia. Nat. Ord. iT/ptn/ciHiC — BoraginCit 



juir. 



Gen. Charac. Cnl. perianth five-parted, permanent. Cor. 

 monopetalous, whcel-fhaped ; border five-parted, flat ; feg- 

 ments acute ; throat crowned wiih five emarginate, obtufe 

 prominences. Stum, five, awl-fiiaped, converging ; anthers 

 oblong, fixed to the infide of the filaments in the middle, 

 converging. Pyi. geims four; flyle filiform, longer than 

 the ilamens: (ligma fimple. Pn'icarp none ; calyx larger, 

 inflated, containing the feeds. Linn. Schreb. La Marek, 

 Juff. Pericarp, nuts four, boney, ovate, a little compreffcJ, 

 fligl'.tly convex on one fide, fmooth, (liining, light chefiait, 

 obfoletcly angular, marked with a longitudinal furrow in the 

 middle, and wiih parallel, t:-anfverfe wrinkles, imperforate, 

 one-celled, without valves, ^fir^/ folitary, ovate-acuminate, 

 almoll black. Gsert. 



Eff. Char. Cor. wheel-lhaped ; border fprtading, acute ; 

 throat clofed with rays. 



Species, l. B. officinalis. Eng. Bot. j'l. common borasfe. 

 •' All the leaves alternate ; calyxes fprcading," Linn. Root 

 long, flefhy, tender, white, fibrous ; Hem about a foot a:id a 

 halt high, branched, hollow, fucculent, cylindric ; leaves al- 

 ternate, large, oval-lanceolate, obtufe, wainklcd, deep green, 

 and, as well as the llern, rough, with (harp, rigid, white 

 bridles ; the lower on petioles, the upper fclfile ; flowers ter- 

 minating on branched peduncles, bine, flefli-coloured, or 

 white ; calyx and corolla divided to the bafe ; tube fliort and 

 white ; filaments (hoit, white, fpringing from the claws of 

 the petal, with a (harp blue proccfs, where the dark purple 

 or blackifli anthers are inferted. Said to have come ori- 

 ginaily from Aleppo, but now naturalized in many parts of 

 Europe, and not uucomraou in the neighbourhood of Lon- 



B O R 



don on dunghills and among rubbilli, where it is fcarcely 

 more than b-.ennial. It was formerly cultivated in gardens, 

 on account of the fuppofed cordial virtues of its flowers, but 

 tliey have long loll tlieir reputation, having neither warmth, 

 pungency, finell, nor any other indication of aftivc qualities. 

 Its root, (lem, and leaves contain an infipid vilcous juice, 

 which, on being boiled a ccnfiderable time, form cryilals of 

 nitre. A clariljed fyrup formed from it is prefcribcd by the 

 French phylicians in pleurifies, and otlier dil'ordeis which re- 

 quire a cool treatment. In Italy its young and tender 

 leaves are in common ufe, both as a pot-herb and a fallad. 

 In France its flowers, with thofe of nrdhirtium (tropoeolum), 

 are put into fallads as an ornameiit. In England the flowers 

 and upper leaves are ufed as an ingredient in that Cummer 

 beverage compoftd of wine, water, lemon-juic;, and fugar, 

 celled a cool tankard, to which they fcem to give an addi- 

 tional coolnefs. 2. B. indkn. " Leaves of the ramifications 

 oppofite, embracing the Hem ; foholes of the calyx figiltate." 

 Linn. " Peduncles one-flowered." Miller. An annual 

 plant, rarely rifing a foot high. Stem branching, rough, 

 with fmall, white, (lifTifli hairs j leaves lanceolate, rugged, 

 only the lower ones oppofile ; flowers axillary, (horter than 

 the leaves | folioles of the calyx five-angled, hifpid, expand- 

 ing at the bale into two remarkable fnarp-puinted auricles ; 

 corolla white, pale-blue, or flefh-colour, with five rull- 

 cnloured fpots. A native of the Eall Indies. 3. B. nfri- 

 cana. " Leaves of the ramifications pctiolate ; tolioles of 

 the calyx ovate, acute, ereft." Linn. " Peduncles many- 

 flowered." Mur. Whole plant hifpid, with llifl, fragil 

 briftles, feven or eight inches high, more branching than 13. 

 indica. Leaves large, ovate, and oppofite ; floral leaves 

 fmall and alternate ; corolla fmall, blue, yellow within, with 

 five purpliA fpots; peduncles terminating, divided, and 

 almoll racemed ; folioles of the calyx entire. Native of 

 the cape of Good Hope, cultivated by Mr. Miller in 1759. 

 4. B. ^eylanica. " Leaves of the ramifications feflile ; pedun- 

 cles one-flowered ; calyx without ears." Linn. Mant. Ste.a 

 hifpid, branching, al)0ut a foot high ; leaves of the ftem 

 oppofite, lanceolate, hilpid ; of the branches alternate, more 

 numerous, fmaller, and more acute ; peduncles axillary, fili- 

 form, folitary, longer than the leaves ; calyx the length of 

 the corolla, ered. A native of the Eafl Indies. 5. B. 

 hngifoKa. Poiret. Barbary. " Leaves linear-lanceolate, 

 fefliie, alternate ; calyx very hairy at the bafe." Willd. 

 Allied to the foregoing, but fufBciently dillindt. Segments 

 of the calyx linear, without ears. A native of Barbary. 6. 

 B. orienial'u. " Calyxes (horter than the tube of the co- 

 rolla ; leaves cordate." Linn. Petiolate ; peduncles many- 

 flowered ; Ilamens longer than the cbrolla, hairv. La 

 Marck. Root large, flefliy, black without, whitilli within, 

 full of an infipid vifcous juice ; fl;em more than two feet 

 high ; root leaves large, on long peduncles, cordate ; Hem 

 leaves alternate, fmall, ovate, on membranous petioles, chan- 

 nelled at the bafe ; flowers axillai7, and terminating, pani- 

 cled ; tube of the corolla longer than the calyx, while ; 

 border white, reflexed. A native of the country about Con- 

 flantinople. 7. B. creiica. " Calyxes the length of the 

 tubeof the corolla; leaves ovate." Willden. Taken up from 

 Tuurneiort, cor. 6, and defcribed from a dried fpecimen. 

 Segments of the calyx ovate rhomboid, very entire ; flowers 

 red. 



Pr'jpnga.'ion and Culture. The firft is a hardy annual, 

 which will fow its own feed?, and come up without care. 

 The feeds of the feeond, third, and fourth Ihould be fown 

 upon a hot-bed in March, and the piar.ts lliould afterwards 

 be feparately planted in a fmall pot, with light earth, and 

 plunged in a ucw bot-bed ; in hot weather they fl.onld be 



allowed 



