6S [ “ 7 1
LITHOSPERMUM purpuro-coeruleum.
Creeping Gromwell.
P E N T A N D R I A Monogynia.
G en. C h ar. Corolla funnel-fhaped, pervious, and
naked. Calyx in five divifions.
Spec. C har. Seeds fmooth. Corolla obtufe, much
longer than the calyx. Leaves lanceolate. Barren
Items creeping.
Syn . Lithofpermum purpuro-coeruleum. Linn. Sp. PL
190. Hudf. FI. An. 79. With. Bot. Arr. 190.
L . majus Dodontei, fiore purpureo, femme Anchufie.
Rati Syn. 229.
M r . Latham of Dartford, the celebrated ornithologift, has
favoured us with wild fpecimens of this uncommon fpecies of
Lithofpermum, collected by himfelf in a chalky foil not far
from Greenhithe in Kent. It has hitherto been found only in
two or three fpots in the weft o f England, being moft abundant
in the more temperate parts of Europe.
The long woody perennial root produces many round, hairy,
leafy Items, moft of which are procumbent, and throw out
roots: the flowering ones only are perfectly eredt, and about
1 z or 18 inches high. Leaves numerous, alternate, lanceolate,
acute, clothed with fhort clofe-prefled briftles, which on the
upper fide of the leaf often arife from minute white tubercles
or warts, as in many of this natural order. The beautiful
flowers appear in April or May, ftanding eredt in a fort of
double leafy fpike, whofe extremities are a little curved downwards
before flowering. Calyx hairy, divided to the bafe into-
five very narrow linear obtufe fegments. Corolla about twice
as long (not feveral times longer), firft purple, then blue, with
a pale reddilh tube; around its orifice are five blunt hairy
fwellings, which however do not clofe it. The ftamina are
fomewhat fhorter than the tube, and united with that part half
way up. Style about as long, with a flightly-notched ftigma.
Germen and feeds very fmooth j the latter are frequently abortive,
as in moft plants that increafe much by their roots.