ichthyology, the English name of the clupea eneratilus. See Clupea.

Anchusa, Alkanet, a genus of the monogyne order, belonging to the pentandra clas of plants; of which there are eight.

Species. The officinalis, or greater garden-bugloss, is a native of France and of the warmer parts of Europe, but will thrive well enough in Britain; but the roots seldom continue longer than two years in this country, unless they happen to grow in rubbish, or out of an old wall, where they will live three or four years.

2. The angustifolia, or perennial wild borage, grows to the height of two feet when cultivated in gardens; but in those places where it grows wild is seldom more than a foot and an half high. The leaves of this sort are narrow; the spikes of flowers come out double, and have have no leaves about them; the flowers are small, and of a red colour. The roots will continue two years in a poor soil. 3. The undulata, or Portugal buglos, is a biennial plant, which grows to the height of two feet, and sends out many lateral branches. The flowers are of a bright blue colour, and grow in an imbricated spike. 4. The orientalis, or eastern buglos, is a native of the Levant; but hardy enough to bear the open air in Britain, if it hath a dry sandy soil. It is a perennial plant, with long trailing branches which lie on the ground. The flowers are yellow, and about the size of the common buglos, and there is a succession of these in the same plants great part of the year. 5. The virginiana, or puccoon, grows naturally in the woods of North America; and being an early plant, generally flowers before the new leaves come out on the trees; so that in some woods where it abounds, the ground seems entirely covered with its yellow flowers. It is a perennial plant, which seldom rises a foot high in good ground, but not above half that height where the soil is poor. The flowers grow in loose spikes upon smooth stalks. 6. The sempervirens, or evergreen horsetail, is a very hardy perennial plant, with weak trailing branches. It grows naturally in some parts of Britain and Spain. The flowers are blue, and come out between the leaves, on the spike, like the fourth fort. They appear during a great part of the year. 7. The cretica, or warted buglos of Crete, is a low trailing annual plant, whose branches seldom extend more than six inches. The flowers are small, of a bright blue colour, and are collected into small bunches at the extremity of the branches. The plants perish soon after their seeds are ripe. 8. The tectoria, or true alkanet, grows naturally in the Levant, but is equally hardy with the first species. The flowers grow in long spikes, coming out imbricatingly, like the tiles of a house.

Culture. All the species of anchusa may be propagated by seeds; which should be sown, either in the spring or autumn, upon a bed of light sandy earth; and when the plants are strong enough to be removed, they must be planted on beds at two feet distance from one another, and watered, if the season requires it, till they have taken root; after which they will require no other care than to keep them free from weeds.

Medicinal Uses, &c. The flowers of the first species have obtained the name of cordial flowers; to which they have no other title than that they moderately cool and soften, without offending the palate or stomach; and thus, in warm climates, or in hot climates, may in some measure refresh the patient. The root of the tectoria is likewise used, not as possessed of any medicinal virtue, but on account of its imparting an elegant red colour to oily substances; so is frequently directed as a colouring ingredient for ointments, plasters, &c. As the colour is confined to the cortical part, the small roots are to be preferred, as having proportionably more bark than the large ones. The alkanet root which grows in England is greatly inferior to what comes from abroad.