Myosotis Scorpioidjes. Mouse-ear Scorpion-grass. 
MYOSOTIS Lm. Gen. PL Pentandria Monogynia. 
Cal. hypocrateriformis, 5. fida, emarginata : faux claufa fornicibus. 
Rail «Sy». Gen. 13. Herb^ asperifoli.®. 
MYOSOTIS feminibus levibus, foliorum apicibus callofis. Lin. SyJl.Vegetab.Sp.Pl. p- 18S. 
PI. Suecic. n. 157. 
SCORPIURUS radice longa fibrata perenni. Hall. hi/i. 591. 
MYOSOTIS Scerpioides. ScopoU. n. 185. 
ECHIUM fcorpioides palufti-e Bauhin. pin, 254. 
MYOSOTIS fcorpioides paluftris. Ger. emac, 337. 
MYOSOTIS fcorpioides repens. Park. 691. Rati Syn. p. 222. n. 4. Water Scorpion-Grafs. 
Hudfon. FL Angi, ed 2. p. 78, 
Lightfooi. Pl. Scot. p. 232. 
RADIX per aquam longe excurrit, et fibrillas e geni- | 
culis dimittit. f 
CAULIS bafi repens, dein ere£lus, pedalis aut bipe- | 
dalis, teres, folidus, ramolus, glaber, faepe | 
hirfutus. I 
FOLIA alterna, lanceolata, felTilia, fubdecurrentia, | 
glabra five hirfuta, margine fspe revoluta. 
R.ACEMI longi, dichotomi, divaricati, apicibus invo- | 
lutis. ? 
FLORES pedunculati, fecundi ; pedunculis alternis, ? 
ereftis. | 
CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, tubulatum, 5: 
quinquedentatum, pcrfiftens. i. | 
COROLLA monopetala, hypocrateriformis, Fnbus Ion- | 
gitudine calycis ; Limbus planus, femiquinque- t 
fidus, laciniis obtufis, fubemarginatis ; Paux | 
claufa fquamulis quinque convexis, promi- ? 
nentibus, luteis. 2. 3. 6. | 
STAMINA : Filamenta quinque in collo tubi, bre- ^ 
viffima : Antherje oblonga?, flava?, apicibus ? 
tumidis, tefta?. fig. 4. | 
PISTILLUM : Germina quatuor; Stylus filiformis, ^ 
longitudine tubi corollae ; Stigma obtufum. | 
PERICARPIUM nullum, Calyx femina in finu fovens. | 
SEMINA quatuor, ovata, glabra, nigri cantia, nitida. | 
fZ' 5 - % 
ROOT runs out to a great length through the water, 
and fend down fibres from the joints. 
STALK creeping at bottom, afterwards upright, from 
one to two feet high, round, folid, branched, 
fmooth, but often hairy. 
LEAVES alternate, lanceolate, feflile, flightly decur- 
rent, fmooth or hirfute, the edge often roll’d 
back. 
RACEMI Jong, dichotomous ; divaricating, the tops 
roll’d in. 
FLOWERS ftanding on footflalks and growing all one 
way ; footftalks alternate and upright. 
CALYX : a Perianthium of one leaf, tubular, hav- 
ing five teeth and permanent, fg. i. 
COROLLA monopetalous, falverfhaped, the ‘Tube the 
length of the calyx : the Limb flat, divided 
into five blunt fegments with a flight notch 
in each ; the mouth clofed with five convex 
prominent yellow fcales or glands, fig. 2. 3. 6. 
STAMINA; five Filaments, very Ihort, placed in the 
neck of the tube ; Anther a: oblong, yellow, 
the tips fwelled, and enclofed. fig. 4. 
PISTILLUM; Germina four; Style thread fhaped, 
the length of the tube of the corolla ; Stigma 
blunt. 
SEEDVESSEL wanting, the Calyx containing and 
enclofing the feeds. 
SEEDS four, oval, fmooth, blackifh, andfhining.7^. 5. 
Few plants aflame fo great a variety of appearances as the Myofotis fcorpioides, few accomodate themfelves to 
fuch a diverfity of foil, and fituation ; the very different habit which this plant aflumes in drv, and wet fitu- 
ations, has induced Haller to divide it into two fpecies, viz. annual and perennial, the aquatic one having 
according to him a perennial, and the other an annual root ; we might perhaps be nearly as much juftified in 
confidering fome others of its flriking varieties as fpecies alfq, particularly the one with yellow flowers and the 
larger flowered one figured by Ray, but as Linn Aius and the generality of modern Botanifts agree in confider- 
ing them all but as one fpecies, we rather chufe to acquiefee in their determination ; Ihould future obfervation 
or experiment give us any reafon to fuppofe them fpecies, we fhall be very happy to do juftice to the opinion 
of Baron Haller. 
The aquatic variety here figured grows very commonly in wet ditches and rivulets, its flowers efpeciallv 
in fhady fituations being much larger and more confpicuous than when growing in a dry foil are often re- 
marked for their beauty and delicacy, they fomewhat refemble blue enamel, and are a very pretty ornament for 
the edges of ponds. 
On dry ground it ufually occurs In fallow fields, and gardens but little cultivated ; the variety with yellow 
flowers is not unfrequent on dry fandy banks, and fometimes on walls ; they all flow^er from May to 
Augufl: and September. 
Linn.$us fufpedls its being poifonous to fheep, vid. Stillhgfieets mifcel. trails, p. 355. ed. 2. 
