Cold And Sinus Remedies: Zingiberis rhizoma

The plant is said to come originally from Aleppo, but for centuries has
been considered a native of Mediterranean Europe and Africa, whence it
has become naturalized throughout the world by Europeans, who grew it
probably more for medicinal than for culinary purposes. According to
Ainslie, it was among the species listed by Peter Martyr as planted on
Isabella Island by Columbus’s companions. The probability is that it was
also brought to America by the colonists during Queen Elizabeth’s time.
It has been listed in American seedsmen’s catalogues since 1806, but the
demand has always been small and the extent to which it is cultivated
very limited. _Description._–Borage is of somewhat spreading habit, branchy, about 20
inches tall. Its oval or oblong-lanceolate leaves and other green parts
are covered with whitish, rather sharp, spreading hairs. The flowers,
generally blue, sometimes pink, violet-red, or white, are loosely
racemed at the extremities of the branches and main stems.