﻿(101.) 



SY'MPHYTUM* * * * § 



Linnean Class and Order. Penta'ndriaI, Monogy'nia. 



Natural Order. Boragi'nead Juss. Gen. PI. p. 128. — Sm. 

 Gram, of Bot. p. 102. — Lindl. Syn. p. 163 ; Introd. to Nat. Syst. 

 of Bot. p. 241. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 440. — Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 

 527 . — Asperifo'lia 2 , Linn. — Sm. Eng. FI. v. i. p. 247. 



Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) inferior, of 1 sepal, in 5 deep, 

 pointed, upright segments, permanent. Corolla (figs. 2 & 3.) of 

 1 petal, cylindrical, bell-shaped ; tube short ; limb ventricose 

 (distended in the middle), with 5 short, spreading, marginal seg- 

 ments ; mouth closed with 5 spear-shaped, fringed, converging 

 valves §, shorter than the limb. Filaments (see fig. 3.) 5, short, 

 in the throat of the corolla, alternate with the valves. Anthers 

 arrow-shaped, pointed, concealed by the valves. Germens (fig. 4.) 

 4, abrupt. Style (fig. 4.) slightly club-shaped, as long as the co- 

 rolla. Stigma simple. Seeds (fig. 5.) 4, egg-shaped, tumid, con- 

 verging, attached to the base of the enlarged calyx. 



Distinguished from other genera with a monopetalous inferior 

 corolla, and 4 naked seeds, in the same class and order, by the 

 limb of the corolla being bell-shaped, and its orifice closed by 5 awl- 

 shaped converging scales or valves. 



Two species British. 



SY'MPHYTUM OFFICINA'LE. Common Comfrey. 



Spec. Char. Leaves between egg-shaped and spear-shaped, 

 very decurrent, and winging the upper part of the stem ; finely 

 hairy. 



Engl. Bot. t. 817. — Curt. FI. Lond. t. 230. — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 195. — Huds. FI. 

 Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 81. — Sm. FI. Brit. v. i. p. 218. Engl. FI. v. i. p.263. — 

 With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 284. — Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 356. — Lindl. Syn. p. 

 164. — Hook. Brit FI. p. 81.— Lightf. FI. Scot. v. i. p. 134. — YVoodv. Med. Bot. 

 Supp. t.21-5. — Sibth. FI. Oxon. p. 70. — Abbot’s FI. Bedf. p. 42. — Purt. Midi. 

 FI. v. i. p. 108.— Relh. FI. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 81 . — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 69. — Grev. 

 FI. Edin. p. 45. — Rev. G. E. Smith’s PI. of South Kent, p. 13.— Fi. Devon, pp. 

 34 Sc 151. — Johnston’s FI. of Berwick, v. ii. p. 275. — Walk. FI. of Oxf p. 50. — 

 Perry’s PI. Varvie. Selectae, p. 16. — Mack. Catal. of PI. of Ire!, p. 21 — Bab. FI. 

 Bath. p. 32 . — Symphytum magnum, Ray’s Syn. p. 230. — Consolida major, 

 Johnson’s Gerarde, p. 806. 



Localities. — I n watery meadows, and about the banks of rivers and ditches. 

 Not uncommon. 



Fig. 1. Calyx, Style, and Stigma. — Fig. 2. Corolla. — Fig. 3. The same cut 

 open to show the Stamens and Valves. — Fig. 4. Germens, Style, and Stigma. — 

 Fig. 5. A Seed. 



* From Sumphuo, Gr. to grow together, from its supposed healing quali- 



ties, in uniting wounds. Rev. R. Walker. 



t See Anchusa sempervirens, f. 48. i See Pulmonaria officinalis, f. 102, a. 



§ These valves are hollow within, with an aperture at the base on the out- 

 side of the corolla. 



