Although Borage and Buglosse might as fitly haue been placed, I confesse, in the Kitchen Garden, in regard they are wholly in a manner spent for Physicall properties, or for the Pot, yet because anciently they haue been entertained into Gardens of pleasure, their flowers hauing been in some respect; in that they haue alwaies been enterposed among the flowers of womens needle-worke, I am more willing to giue them place here, then thrust them into obscurity, and take such of their tribe with them also as may fit for this place, either for beauty or rarity.
The Garden Buglosse and Borage are so well knowne vnto all, that I shall (I doubt) but spend time in waste to describe them; yet not vsing to passe ouer any thing I name and appropriate to this Garden so sleightly, they are thus to bee knowne: Buglosse hath many long, narrow, hairy, or rough sad greene leaues, among which rise vp two or three very high stalks, branched at the top, whereon stand many blew flowers, consisting of fiue small round pointed leaues, with a small pointell in the middle, which are very smooth, shining, and of a reddish purple while they are buds, and not blowne open, which being fallen, there groweth in the greene huske, wherein the flower stood, three or foure roundish blacke seedes, hauing that thread or pointell standing still in the middle of them: the roote is blacke without, and whitish within, long, thicke, and full of slimie iuice (as the leaues are also) and perisheth not euery yeare, as the roote of Borage doth.
Borage hath broader, shorter, greener, and rougher leaues then Buglosse, the stalkes hereof are not so high, but branched into many parts, whereon stand larger flowers, and more pointed at the end then Buglosse, and of a paler blew colour for the most part (yet sometimes the flowers are reddish, and sometimes pure white) each of the flowers consisting of fiue leaues, standing in a round hairy whitish huske, diuided into fiue parts, and haue a small vmbone of fiue blackish threads in the middle, standing out pointed at the end, and broad at the bottome: the seed is like the other: the root is thicker and shorter then the roote of Buglosse, somewhat blackish without also, and whitish within, and perisheth after seede time, but riseth of it owne seede fallen, and springeth in the beginning of the yeare.
Euerliuing Borage hath many broad greene leaues, and somewhat rough, more resembling Comfrey then Borage, yet not so large as either; the stalkes are not so high as Borage, and haue many small blew flowers on them, very like to the flowers of Buglosse for the forme, and Borage for the colour; the rootes are blacke, thicker then either of them, somewhat more spreading, and not perishing, hauing greene leaues all the Winter long, and thereupon tooke his name.
The Sea Buglosse or Alkanet hath many long, rough, narrow, and darke greene leaues, spread vpon the ground (yet some that growe by the Sea side are rather hoarie and whitish) among these leaues riseth vp a stalke, spread at the toppe into many branches, whereon stand the flowers in tufts, like vnto the Garden Buglosse, or rather Comfrey, but lesser; in some plants of a reddish blew colour, and in others more red or purplish, and in others of a yellowish colour: after which come the seedes, very like vnto Buglosse, but somewhat longer and paler: the roote of most of them being transplanted, are somewhat blackish on the outside, vntill the later end of Summer, and then become more red: for those that grow wilde, will be then so red, that they will giue a very deepe red colour to those that handle them, which being dryed keepe that red colour, which is vsed to many purposes; the roote within being white, and hauing no red colour at all.
This Limonium (which I referre here to the kindes of Buglosse, presuming it is the fittest place where to insert it) hath many long narrow, and somewhat rough leaues lying vpon the ground, waued or cut in on both sides, like an Indenture, somewhat like the leaues of Ceterach or Miltwast, among which rise vp two or three stalkes, somewhat rough also, and with thin skinnes like wings, indented on both sides thereof also, like the leaues, hauing three small, long, rough, and three square leaues at euery ioynt, where it brancheth forth; at the toppe whereof stand many flowers vpon their foote stalkes, in such a manner, as is not seene in any other plant, that I know; for although that some of the small winged foot stalkes are shorter, and some longer, standing as it were flatwise, or all on one side, and not round like an vmbell, yet are they euen at the toppe, and not one higher than another; each of which small foote stalkes doe beare foure or fiue greenish heads or huskes, ioyned together, out of each of which doe arise other pale or bleake blew stiffe huskes, as if they were flowers, made as it were of parchment, which hold their colour after they are dry a long time; and out of these huskes likewise, doe come (at seuerall times one after another, and not all at one time or together) white flowers, consisting of fiue small round leaues, with some white threds in the middle: after these flowers are past, there come in their places small long seede, inclosed in many huskes, many of those heads being idle, not yeelding any goode seede, but chaffe, especially in out Countrey, for the want of sufficient heate of the Sunne, as I take it: the roote is small, long, and blackish on the outside, and perisheth at the first approach of Winter.
Borage and Buglosse grow onely in Gardens with vs, and so doth the Semper virens, his originall being vnknowne vnto vs. Alkanet or Sea Buglosse groweth neare the Sea, in many places of France, and Spaine, and some of the kindes also in England. But the Limonium or Marshe Buglosse groweth in Cales, and Malacca in Spaine, and is found also in Syria, as Rauwolfius relateth: and in other places also no doubt; for it hath beene sent vs out of Italie, many yeares before eyther Guillaume Boel found it in Cales, or Clusius in Malacca.
Borage and Buglosse doe flower in Iune, and Iuly, and sometimes sooner, and so doth the euer-liuing or neuer-dying Borage, but not as Gerrard saith, flowring Winter and Summer, whereupon it should take his name, but leaueth flowring in Autumne, and abideth greene with his leaues all the Winter, flowring the next Spring following. The other flower not vntill Iuly, and so continue, especially the Marshe Buglosse vntill September bee well spent, and then giueth seede, if early frosts ouertake it not; for it seldome commeth to be ripe.
| 1 | Pulmonaria latifolia maculosa. Cowslips of Ierusalem. |
| 2 | Pulmonaria angustifolia. Narrow leafed Cowslips of Ierusalem. |
| 3 | Borrago. Borage. |
| 4 | Borrago semper virens. Euerliuing Borage. |
| 5 | Anchusa. Sea Buglosse or Alkanet. |
| 6 | Limonium Rauwolfij. Marsh Buglosse. |
Our ordinary Borage by the consent of all the best moderne Writers, is the true Buglossum of Dioscorides, and that our Buglosse was vnknowne to the ancients. The Borago semper virens, Lobel calleth Buglossum semper virens, that is, Euer-liuing, or Greene Buglosse: but it more resembleth Borage then Buglosse; yet because Buglosse abideth greene, to auoyde that there should not be two Buglossa semper virentia, I had rather call it Borage then Buglosse. Anchusa hath diuers names, as Dioscorides setteth downe. And some doe call it Fucus herba, from the Greeke word, because the roote giuing so deepe a colour, was vsed to dye or paint the skinne. Others call it Buglossum Hispanicum, in English Alkanet, and of some Orchanet, after the French. Limonium was found by Leonhartus Rauwolfius, neere vnto Ioppa, which he setteth downe in the second Chapter of the third booke of his trauayles, and from him first knowne to these parts: I haue, as you see, referred it to the kindes of Buglosse, for that the flowers haue some resemblance vnto them, although I know that Limonium genuinum is referred to the Beetes. Let it therefore here finde a place of residence, vntill you or I can finde a fitter; and call it as you thinke best, eyther Limonium as Rauwolfius doth, or Marshe Buglosse as I doe, or if you can adde a more proper name, I shall not be offended.
Borage and Buglosse are held to bee both temperate herbes, beeing vsed both in the pot and in drinkes that are cordiall, especially the flowers, which of Gentlewomen are candid for comfitts. The Alkanet is drying, and held to be good for wounds, and if a peece of the roote be put into a little oyle of Peter or Petroleum, it giueth as deepe a colour to the oyle, as the Hypericon doth or can to his oyle, and accounted to be singular good for a cut or greene wound.
The Limonium hath no vse that wee know, more then for a Garden; yet as Rauwolfius saith, the Syrians vse the leaues as sallats at the Table.