September,  1897.  J  SllKanei   I\L>Ul.  449 
In  "  Les  Drogues  Simples  "  MM.  Planchon  and  Collin  state  that 
several  other  boraginaceous  plants  have  red  roots  and  can  be  sub- 
stituted for  alkanet,  such  asOnosma  echioides,  L.  (S.  Europe),  Arne- 
bia tinctoria,  Vahl.  (Egypt  and  Arabia).  According  to  "  Pharma- 
cographia  Indica,"  II,  p.  524,  four  kinds  of  alkanet  are  described  by 
Mohammedan  writers,  Harjuya  being  the  Persian,  and  Ratanjot  the 
Indian  name  for  the  drug.  It  is  also  stated  that  the  roots  of  Onosma 
hookeri,  C.  B.  Clarke,  and  of  a  species  of  Arnebia  from  Afghanis- 
tan, are  known  as  Rang-i-badshah  (J.  e.,  royal  dye)  and  Ratanjot,  and 
that  a  third  kind  is  imported  from  China,  and  consists  of  long, 
woody,  twisted  roots,  like  the  alkanet  of  Europe. 
In  the  Hanbury  collection  of  materia  medica  there  is  a  specimen 
of  a  root  resembling  alkanet  in  color,  but  having  a  thin,  laminated, 
papyraceous  bark  like  the  tunic  of  a  bulb.  It  was  received  from 
Dr.  Stocks,  and  has  the  native  name  of  Maharrunga,  and  is  referred 
to  Lithospermum  euchroma,  Royle,  which  is  identified  in  the  Kew 
Index  as  Macrotomia  perennis,  Benth. 
Specimens  exist  in  the  herbarium  of  the  society,  of  Macrotomia 
benthami,  D.  C,  and  of  Onosma  echioides,  Linn.,  both  of  which 
have  roots  of  a  deep  purple  color,  and  a  laminated  bark.  In  the 
foimer  the  laminae  are  faintly  reticulated,  and  in  the  latter  wrinkled 
transversely.  Both  would  at  once  be  recognized  in  commerce  as. 
alkanet,  but  different  from  the  European  drug. 
In  Watts'  "  Dictionary  of  the  Economic  Products  of  India"  (I, 
p.  318),  Arnebia  thibetana,  Kurz,  is  stated,  on  Dr.  J.  E.  T.  Aitchi- 
son's  authority,  to  have  a  scaly  root  bark,  and  to  be  used  as  dye. 
The  roots  of  Onosma  emodi,  Wall.,  and  O.  hookeri,  Clarke,  are  also 
said  to  yield  a  red  dye  (/.  c,  p.  488).  Whether  any  of  these  are 
superior  in  tinctorial  power  to  European  alkanet  or  not,  might  per- 
haps be  worthy  of  inquiry.  O.  hookeri  is  said  to  yield  the  best 
Lepcha  red  dye  ("  Flora  British  India,"  IV,  p.  178)  The  root  is 
used  as  a  red  dye  for  wool,  a  vegetable  acid,  such  as  that  of  apricots, 
being  employed  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  desired  tint.  An  al- 
kanet root  from  Japan  is  referred  to  Lithospermum  erythrorhizon. 
The  plants  of  which  the  roots  are  known  to  be  used  like  alkanet  are 
therefore  as  follows:  Alkanna  tinctoria,  Tausch  ;  Arnebia  thibetana, 
Kurz ;  Arnebia  tinctoria,  Vahl.;  Lithospermum  erythrorhizon ; 
Macrotomia  benthami,  D.  C;  Macrotomia  perennis,  Benth.;  Onosma 
emodi,  Wall.;  and  Onosma  hookeri,  Clarke. 
