BORAGE, Berdgo, a genus of plants of the natural order boragincer (q.v.), having a wheel-shaped corolla; the mouth of which is closed with five teeth, and forked filaments, of which the inner arm bears the anther, the anthers connivent around the style, in the form of a cone. The species are few, chiefly natives of the countries around the Mediterranean sea. The COMMON BORAGE (B. officinalis) is found in waste places in many parts of Europe, and is putty frequent—perhaps naturalized—in Britain. It is a plant of rather coarse appearance, with a stout erect herbaceous stem, 1 to 2 ft. high, somewhat branched; the lower leaves elliptical, obtuSe, tapering to the base; the stem, leaves, flower-stalks, and calyx rough with hairs. The flowers are more than half an inch broad, of a beautiful blue color. B. was formerly much cultivated and highly esteemed, being reckoned amongst the cordial flowers, and supposed to possess exhila rating qualities, for which it no longer receives credit. The belief in its virtues was at
one time extremely prevalent in England, and its use accordingly universal. The flowers were put into salads, Gerarde tells us (1597), "to make the mind glad ;" and he adds: "There be also many things made of them, used everywhere for the comfort of the heart, for the driving away of sorrow, and ,increasing the joy of the mind." Like some other plants of the same order, B. contains nitrate of potash (niter), and is slightly febrifuge. It is mucilaginous and emollient, and has been used in pectoral affections: its leaves impart a coolness to beverages in which they are steeped; and with wine, water, lemon, and sugar, enter into the composition of an English drink called a cool tankard. The young leaves and tender tops are pickled, and occasionally boiled for the table.