to Cynanchum, but differing in the ar- 

 rangement of the scales of the staininal 

 corona, which are scarcely connected into 

 a ring at the base, but the outer ones are 

 closely united with the corresponding 

 inner ones. 



SYMPHYOGYNA. One of the finest 

 genera of the frondose Jungermanniacece, 

 distinguished by the want of a perianth, and 

 a calyptra springing from the back of the 

 frond, which is mostly erect and stipitate. 

 It belongs to the division Haplokeuece. 

 The species have the habit of Hymeno- 

 pliylla, for which they may be mistaken 



Symphyogyna. 

 a. subsimplex. b. hymeuophylla. 



when out of fruit. They would probably 

 not be difficult of cultivation, and would 

 undoubtedly be acceptable objects amongst 

 the more minute inmates of the fern- 

 house. The species are almost confined to 

 the Southern Hemisphere. Five are found 

 in New Zealand, and about half that num- 

 ber in New Holland and Tasmania, whereas 

 a single doubtful species only occurs in 

 North America. [M. J. BJ 



SYMPHYOMYRTUS. An Australian 

 genus of Myrtacece of very curious struc- 

 ture has received this name. It constitutes 

 a shrub, bearing heads of flowers at the base 

 of the previous year's branches; these heads 

 consisting of twelve or fourteen flowers, 

 closely packed, and being fused together 

 upon a fleshy receptacle. The calyx, before 

 the expansion of the flower, is closed by a 

 little circular lid, which subsequently se- 

 parates and falls off; there is no corolla; 

 the stamens are numerous, attached to the 

 inner margin of the receptacle ; and the 

 fruit is a woody globular mass, from the 

 upper part of which project the truefruits 

 or capsules, which are three-celled, and 

 burst partially by three valves. The name 

 of the genus is indicative of the very sin- 

 gular fusion of the flowers above described, 

 and is derived from the Greek sumphyo ' to 

 unite or grow together.' [M. T. M.] 



SYMPHYONEMA. A small proteaceous 

 genus, having a deeply four-parted calyx ; 

 stamens inserted on the middle of the 



segments, cohering towards the upper part 

 of the filament, but with free anthers ; a 

 filiform style with a bluntish stigma ; and 

 a single-seeded nut. They are herbaceous 

 plants or small shrubs, having much- 

 divided leaves, with linear segments, and 

 yellow flowers in terminal or axillary 

 spikes ; and are all natives of New South 

 Wales. [R. H.] 



SYMPHYOPETALUM. A low shrub 

 with small leaves, silvery underneath, and 



j red flowers on short axillary peduncles. It 

 is a native of Western Australia, and was 



I described by Drummond as a genus of 

 Rutacecp- of the tribe Boroniece. It proves, 

 however, to be the same as the one pre- 

 viously 'published by Turczaninow under 

 the name of Nematolepis. 



SYMPHYOSTEMON. The union of sta- 

 mens by their filaments. The same as 

 Monadelphous. 



SYMPHYSIS. A growing together. 



SYMPHYTUM. A genus of Boraginacece, 

 inhabiting Europe and Central Asia. It 

 consists of roughish perennials, with ses- 

 sile often decurrent or stalked leaves, and 

 terminal solitary or twin scorpioid ra- 

 cemes of rather large pale-yellow purple 

 or blue flowers. The calyx is flve-parted ; 

 the corolla cylindrico-tubular, enlarged 

 above the middle, where it is closed by 

 five narrow scales, and shortly flve-toothed 

 at the apex ; the stamens are included ; 

 and the nuts ovate rugose, perforated at 

 the base, and adhering to the receptacle by 

 their base. 



Two species occur in Britain, the most 

 common of which, S. officinale, is a coarse 

 branched plant with a thick rootstock, a 

 stem strongly winged by the decurrent 

 bases of the leaves, and pale-yellow or 

 reddish-purple flowers. S. tuberosum is 

 smaller, with nearly simple stems, a tube- 

 ! rous rootstock somewhat resembling the 

 tuber of a Jerusalem artichoke, leaves more 

 or less stalked except the uppermost, and 

 the flowers pale-yellow. [J. T. S.] 



Of this genus our native species, 8. offici- 

 nale, the Comfrey, is a well-known plant of 

 watercourses, having much the taste and 

 properties of borage, for which it was not 

 unfrequently substituted in the old Eng- 

 lish cool tankard, and amongst herbalists 

 it was highly extolled as a ' cooler of the 

 blood.' 



In 1811 S. asperrimum was introduced 

 from the Caucasus ; its graceful pendent 

 light-blue flowers and bold foliage re- 

 commended it as an ornamental plant in 

 spacious flower-gardens or the front of the 

 shrubbery, in which it has to a greater or 

 less extent kept a place in old gardens. 

 Some few years ago it was recommended 

 as a green ' soiling ' plant, and our trials of 

 it certainly show that it is capable of pro- 

 ducing large crops, two in the season, 

 perhaps amounting to from forty to fifty 

 tons of green food per acre. The following 

 is the result of an analysis of S. asperri- 

 mum by Professor Yoelcker :— 



