ANCHUSA ITAL'ICA. 
ITALIAN BUGLOSS. 
Class. Order. 
PENTANDKIA. MONOGYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
BORAGINEjE. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Cultivated 
S. Europe. 
3 feet 
June, Oct. 
Perennial. 
in 1396. 
No. 173. 
The term Anchusa is of Greek origin; from 
agchousa, in allusion to its astringent, or, per- 
haps some imaginary qualities, that the plant was 
thought to possess. 
The Anchusa Italica is not alone desirable for 
the brilliant colour of its flowers; but also for the 
succession of them during several months. The 
first, or spring stems, yield their blossoms through 
great part of June and July. During these months 
another progeny will shoot forth to succeed them 
in gay luxuriance ; till the icy hand of autumn 
crushes all their beauty. 
If our young friends will take one of the purple 
buds, a day previously to its opening, and carefully 
cut off the segments of the corolla, without injuring 
the interior, they will disclose the five scales of pel- 
lucid pubescence. These form an object of great 
beauty, when shown by the assistance of a micro- 
scope, or even an eye-glass, of short focus. 
In the Hortus Kewensis, this plant is marked as 
biennial ; hence the error has been copied into minor 
works. It is best raised from seeds ; and these 
sometimes grow where shed by the plant. 
Hort. Kcw. 2, v. J , 289. 
