88 



BORAGINACEiE. 



Myosotis. 



Flowers scarcely more than two lines long. Corolla bright blue with a yellow centre. Nuts 

 ovate, lenticularly compressed, margined, dark brown and shining. 



Small streams and springy grounds ; very common. April - September. Our plant differs 

 from the European in its smaller flowers. It seems to be the var. micrantha of Lehmarin in 

 Hooker's fl. Bor -Am. I. c. 



2. Myosotis arvensis, Sibth. Field Scorpion- grass. 



Leaves oblong-lanceolate, hairy ; pedicels somewhat erect when in fruit, about as long as 

 the closed calyx ; limb of the corolla erect-spreading, as long as the tube. — Lehm. Asperif. 

 p. 90 ; Pursh, ft. 1. p. 133 ; Totr. fl. 1. p. 207 ; Borrcr in Engl. hot. suppl. t. 2629 ; 

 Beck, hot. p. 253; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 120. M: scorpioides («.), Michx. fl. 1. p. 129. 

 M. verna, Nutt. gen. 2. suppl. Lycopsis Virginica, Pursh, I. c. p. 133? excl. syn. ; Bigel. 

 fl. Bost. p. 71. 



Annual. Whole plant gray ish-pul .-scent. Stem 3-8 inches high, erect, at first nearly 

 simple, finally branching. Leaves 4-8 lines long, rather obtuse. Raceme elongated in fruit. 

 Pedicels of the flowers 1-2 lines long. Calyx clothed with spreading hairs ; the segments 

 narrowly lanceolate, acute. Corolla very small, white. Nuts resembling those of the pre- 

 ceding species. 



Sandy fields, hill-sides and dry open woods ; rather common. May — June. 



8. SYMPHYTUM. Linn. ; Endl. gen. 3776. COMFREY. 



[ Named from the Greek, sym/phyo, to grow together ; because of its healing virtues.] 



Calyx 5-cleft or 5-parted. Corolla tubular-campanulate : throat closed with five connivent 

 subulate scales ; the limb with five short lobes. Nuts ovoid, rugose, not perforate at the 

 base. — Perennial herbs, with the racemes of flowers solitary or in pairs. 



1. Symphytum officinale, Linn. Common Comfrey. 



Stem winged above ; leaves ovate-lanceolate, narrowed at the base and decurrent ; racemes 

 nodding. — Linn. sp. 1. p. 136; Engl. hot. t. 817; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 121. 



Root large and thick. Stem 1-2 feet high, branching above. Leaves 6-10 inches long, 

 acuminate, rough ; those of the root pelioled : upper ones sessile. Racemes many-flowered. 

 Segments of the calyx lanceolate, bristly. Corolla large, yellowish white or rarely purplish. 

 Style slightly exserted. Nuts acuminate, dark and shining. 



Wet meadows and borders of small streams in the western parts of the State. June. An 

 European plant, which has become naturalized in many places. It has long been celebrated 

 for its medicinal virtues, but it seems to be of very little value except for its mucilaginous 

 qualities. 



