THE GENUS SYMPHYTUM IN BRITAIN 



281 



plant of dry places, while S. officinale, as has already been pointed out, occurs only by 

 water. Further investigation may show, nevertheless, that these two taxa should be 

 regarded as subspecies in order to emphasise what appears to be their close genetical 

 similarity. 



On the scanty evidence available about the distribution of the two colour forms 

 of S. officinale it is perhaps unwise to draw conclusions, but it is tempting to suggest 

 that the purple-flowered form may be due to introgression between S. officinale and 

 S. asperum. 



S. X uplandicum is probably the commonest Symphytum in this country, being 

 frequent in hedgebanks, beside roads and sometimes in open places in woods. It seems 

 to be better suited to conditions in Britain than S. asperum which, though widely distri- 

 buted, is rare. 



S. tuberosum L. is the only other native species. It is a local woodland plant found 

 chiefly in N. England and in Scotland. It is not known to hybridise with any other 

 species and is easily recognised by its little-branched stems, tuberous stock and by having 

 the middle stem leaves larger than the basal ones. 



S. orientale L. is locally naturalised. It may be recognised by its early flowering 

 (April-May), soft hairs, broad leaves and short calyx-teeth, which are about half as long 

 as the tube. 



S. grandiflorum DC. is another early-flowering species which is often grown in gardens 

 and has become naturalised in woods and hedgebanks. It is sometimes confused with 

 S. tuberosum but may be readily distinguished by its spring flowering (with often a second 

 crop of flowers in October and November), and by the long creeping sterile shoots which 

 root at intervals. 



Two other introduced species are recorded as established locally : 



S. caucasicum M. Bieb., which is like S. orientale but has clear blue flowers and 



sessile, shortly decurrent upper leaves; and S. tauricum Willd. which differs from S. 



orientale in having buUate leaves with undulate margins and lanceolate acute calyx- teeth. 



Three other species have been recorded, but according to Mr. A. E. Wade, their identity 



is open to great doubt. 



The genus Symphytum in Britain is therefore represented by the following : — 



Acknowledgments 



I am most grateful to Dr. A. Melderis for translating the relevant portions of Flora 

 U.R.S.S. and thus providing some information essential for the understanding of Symphytum 

 in Britain, and to Mr. A. E. Wade for information about some of the introduced species, 

 and a few other points. 



DONN, J., 1831, Hortus Cantabrigiensis, 65. London. 



FRIES, E. M., 1839, Novitiarum florae sueciae mantissae, 2, 13. Uppsala. 



GAMS, H., 1927, in HEGI, G., Flora von Mittel-Europa, 5 (3), 2224. Munchen. 



NYMAN, C. F., 1854-5, Sylloge Florae Europaeae, 80. Orebro. 



POPOV, M. G., 1953, in Komarov, V.L., Flora U.R.S.S., 9. Leningrad. 



RAY, J., 1670, Catalogiis Plantarum Angliae, 79. London. 



SYME, J. T. B., 1867, English Botany, ed. 3, 7, 116. London. 



Native species : 

 Naturalised species : 



S. officinale L., S. tuberosum L. 



S. asperum Lepechin, S. orientale L., S. grandiflorum 

 DC, S. caucasicum M. Bieb., S. tauricum Willd. 

 S. X uplandicum Nyman. 



Hybrid swarm : 



REFERENCES 



