i 64 the associations of flowers 
sounds well as a poetic comparison; but no one must walk 
into a garden of sunflowers and expect to witness the fact 
alluded to in these lines. 
A plant of this order, the common grorowell (Litho- 
spermum officinale), which bears a sm.ail yellowish-green 
flower, and grows on chalky places, has very singular 
seeds. These are like small nuts, but of a greyish colour, 
and highly polished. They are as hard as any stones, 
and, indeed, contain a great quantity of flint. This plant 
was formerly called by the elegant name of “ herbe aux 
perles.” 
It would be easy, among our wild-flowers, to point 
out many more boragineous plants. The comfrey (Sym- 
phytum), a plant whose white flowers droop in clusters 
among the rough foliage; and the viper’s bugloss, a bright- 
blue flower, common on chalky places, its leaves covered 
with thick bristles, belong to them. Sometimes in gather- 
ing flowers at the water-side one meets vdth the comfrey; 
and persons unaware of the nature of its stem and leaves, 
find, after gathering it, their hands full of its bristly hairs, 
and irritated as much as if they had plucked a handful 
of nettles. It is still in great repute in villages for its 
medicinal properties. 
