BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 
221 
GENUS V. 
THE BORAGE. (Borago, Lin.) 
Lin. Syst. PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Generic Character. —Calyx five-parted. Corolla rotate, five-cleft, usually spreading. Scales of the orifice obtuse, emarginate. 
Nuts wrinkled. ( Lindley .) 
Description, &c. —The name of the Borage is said to be corrupted from courage, and to be applied to the 
plant in consequence of the wonderful effect of its juice in raising the spirits. There is only one British species, 
and even that is said not to be a true native. 
1. —THE COMMON BORAGE. (Borago officinalis, Lin.) 
Engravings. —Eng. Bot., t. 36 ; 2nd ed., t. 271 ; and our fig. 4, 1 the tube; mouth with a double row of valves; the innermost awl- 
in PI. 43. shaped, bearing the stamens. (Smith.) 
Specific Character.— Limb of the corolla flat, much longer than ; 
Description, &c. —This plant, though its bright blue flowers are now found wherever there are dunghills, 
or heaps of rubbish, in every part of England, was originally introduced from the Levant, and cultivated in 
gardens for its use in medicine, as it was considered one of the four cordial flowers, the others being the rose, 
the violet, and the alkanet, which were used to make a ptisan to raise the spirits, and to give strength and 
courage when it was necessary to make any extraordinary exertions. The plant is generally considered a 
perennial, but it seldom lives longer than two years. Both the stem and leaves are succulent and mucilaginous, 
and they have a peculiarly faint sickly smell when they are bruised. The flowers continue to appear all the 
summer. 
GENUS VI. 
THE BUGLOSS. (Lycopsis, Lin.) 
Lin. Syst. PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Generic Character. —Calyx five-cleft. Corolla funnel-shaped, five-lobed ; limb nearly erect; tube incurved. Scales of the orifice ovate, 
prominent, converging. Stigma emarginate. Nuts sculptured at the base. (Dec.) 
Description, &c. —There is only one British species in this genus. The name of Lycopsis signifies wolf’s- 
face, in allusion to the shape of the flowers of some of the exotic species, which bear some resemblance to the 
face of an animal. 
1.— l'HE SMALL BUGLOSS. (Lycopsis arvensis, Lin .) 
Synonyme. Anchusa arvensis, Lehm. | Specific Character. —Leaves lanceolate, wavy, somewhat toothed, 
Engravings. Eng. Bot. t. 938 ; 2nd ed., t. 273 ; and our fig. 5, J very bristly. Stalks of the flowers and fruit erect. Limb of the 
in PI. 43. j coro ]] a s Rghtly unequal. (Smith.) 
Description, &c. —This is a common little annual plant, which flowers in June, and which withers up as 
soon as the seeds have fallen. Both the stem and leaves are covered with sharp bristles, which grow from small 
white tubercles. The leaves are mucilaginous. 
