Genus __ 



FIGWORT FAMILY. 



199 



2. Synthyris rubra (Hook.) Benth. Western Synthyris. Fig. 3795 



Gymnandra rubra Hook. Fl. Bor. Amer. 2: 103. pi. 172. 

 1838. 



Synthyris rubra Benth. in DC. Prodr. 10: 455. 1846. 



Wulfenia rubra Greene, Erythea 2: 83. 1894. 



Besseya rubra Rydberg, Bull. Torr. Club 30: 280. 1903. 



Similar to the preceding species but lower, pubescent 

 or tomentose, seldom over 1 high. Basal leaves ovate 

 or oblong, obtuse or acute at the apex, narrowed, trun- 

 cate or cordate at the base, 1J-3' long, crenulate, peti- 

 oled, indistinctly nerved; stem-leaves ovate or lanceo- 

 late, acute, sessile, crenulate, or entire, l'-l' long; spike 

 very dense, 1/-2' long in flower, 2-5' long in fruit, its 

 bracts purplish; corolla none; stamens inserted on the 

 outer side of the hypogynous disk; capsule little com- 

 pressed, emarginate, slightly longer than the calyx. 



In dry soil, South Dakota to Nebraska, British Columbia and Utah. May-Jun 



23. VERONICA [Tourn.] L. Sp. PL 9. 1753- 



Annual or perennial herbs (some exotic species shrubs or trees), with opposite and alter- 

 nate, rarely verticillate leaves, and mostly small blue purple pink or white flowers, terminal 

 or axillary, racemose, spicate, or solitary. Calyx mostly 4-parted, sometimes 5-parted, the seg- 

 ments oblong or ovate. Corolla rotate, its tube very short, deeply and more or less unequally 

 4-lobed (rarely 5-lobed), the lower lobe commonly the narrowest. Stamens 2. divergent, 

 inserted on either side and at the base of the upper corolla-lobe; anthers obtuse, their sacs 

 confluent at the summit; filaments slender. Ovary 2-celled ; style slender; stigma capitate ; 

 ovules few or numerous in each cavity. Capsule more or less compressed, sometimes very 

 flat, emarginate, obcordate, or 2-lobed, loculicidally dehiscent. Seeds smooth or rough, flat, 

 plano-convex, or excavated on the inner side. [Named for St. Veronica.] 



About 200 species, of wide geographic distribution. Besides the following, 3 others occur in 

 northwest America. Type species : Veronica officinalis L. 



* Flowers racemose in the axils of the leaves, bracteolate. 



Glabrous, or minutely glandular above (No. 3 rarely hairy) : brook or swamp plants. 

 Leaves ovate, oval, oblong, or oblong-lanceolate ; capsule compressed. 



Stem leaves sessile, partly clasping, serrulate or entire. 1. V. Anagallis-aquatica. 



All the leaves petioled. serrate. 2. V. americana. 



Leaves linear or linear-lanceolate; capsule very flat. 3- ' scutellata. 

 Pubescent, dry soil plants ; leaves crenate or dentate. 



Leaves oval or obovate, petioled ; pedicels shorter than the calyx. 4. V. officinalis. 



Leaves ovate, nearly or quite sessile ; pedicels longer than the calyx. 5. V. Chamaedrys. 



** Flowers in terminal spikes or racemes, or solitary in the axils. 



Flowers in terminal spikes or racemes. 



Leaves all sessile ; capsule elliptic, emarginate. 



Lower leaves petioled; capsule orbicular, obcordate. 

 Flowers solitary in most of the axils ; peduncles shorter than the leaves. 



Erect ; glabrous or glandular ; capsule emarginate. 



Diffuse ; pubescent ; capsule obcordate. 

 Flowers solitary in the axils; peduncles as long as the leaves, or longer. 



Leaves ovate or oblong, crenate or dentate. 



Corolla not longer than the calyx ; capsule narrowly emarginate. 

 Corolla longer than the calyx ; capsule broadly emarginate. 



Leaves orbicular, or broader, 3-5-lobed or -crenate. 



6. V. Wormskioldii. 



7. V. serpyllifolia. 



8. V. peregrina. 



9. V. arvensis. 



10. V. agrestis. 



11. V.Tournefortii. 



1 2. V. hederaefolia. 



