1835, Philip Miller, "Anchusa", entry in The Gardener's Dictionary, Volume I, 9th Edition, page 430,
Anchusa and Cinnabar were used by the antients to give an agreeable colour to their ointments; and Pliny tells us that where the anchusa was used, they added salt to prevent the oil in those compositions from becoming rancid.
Source: wiktionary
Unfortunately, anchusas have the defect of being coarse in appearance, with hairy leaves and stems which are neither elegant nor graceful.
Source: wiktionary
Related to the common annual form of forget-me-nots (Myosotis), the two species of anchusa produce some of the bluest of the blue flowers in the plant kingdom, and both are easy to grow.
Source: wiktionary