152 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



about the size of a sweet pea seed. Seeds trigonous-hemispherical, 

 papillose when young, fuscous-brown, dim and shagreened when ripe. 

 Stem and underside of leaves with reddish-bi'own glandular dots. 



Var. ^ is a puzzling plant, generally appearing perfectly distinct 

 from var. a, and coming up true from seed, but blue-flowered plants 

 do occur with the corolla-segments glandular-ciliate as in var. a ; and 

 it has been reported that from the seed of the flower of one colour the 

 other has been raised. Perhaps the true solution of the difficulty is that 

 suggested by Mr. Borrer, viz., that there are two plants, each of which 

 varies with red or blue flowers : if this could be proved the two should 

 be considered as subspecies. 



SPECIES II.-AN A GALL IS TENELLA. Linn. 



Plate MCXLVIH. 



Bakh. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XVII. Tab. MLXXXII. Fig. 3. 

 Billut, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. 2iid Cent. B. 



Root perennial. Stem procumbent, slightly branched, herbaceous, 

 rooting at the nodes, filiform, bluntly quadrangular. Leaves oppo- 

 site, very shortly stalked, roundish or subrhombic-roundish, subspa- 

 thulate, obtuse, rarely opposite. Flowers solitary and alternate, when 

 but a single leaf is produced at the nodes from which they spring, 



more rarely opposite, when there are a pair of leaves : in either case, 



usually about the middle of the stem, which then tei-minates in a barren 

 shoot; peduncles slender, much longer than the leaves, rising verti- 

 cally, hooked at the apex in fruit. Calyx segments strapshaped-lanceo- 

 late, very acute, without a membranous border. Corolla funnelshaped ; 

 segments ascending, slightly recurved at the apex, rather more than 

 twice as long as the calyx, oblong-obovate, obtuse, entire. Filaments 

 united at the base. Capsule much shorter than the calyx segments, 

 subspherical. Seeds few. Plant wholly glabrous. 



In bofi^s and wet places. Rather rare, though universally disti'ibuted. 

 More abundant on the west side of the island, but extending from 

 Cornwall to Shetland. Frequent throughout Ireland. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Late Summer, Autumn, 



Stems very slender, prostrate throughout or rarely ascending at the 

 apex, branched at the base, the branches themselves nearly simple, 

 2 to 8 inches long. Leaves \ to \ inch long, and nearly as broad, 

 abruptly attenuated into the very short petioles, opposite, except at 

 the nodes from which the flowers are produced, where they are most 

 commonly alternate, or at least the one a little above the other ; beyond 

 the flower-bearing part the stems commordy extend into long barren 

 shoots, bearing some resemblance to those of Thymus eu-Serpyllum. 

 Peduncles 1 to 2 inches long. Flowers nearly | inch long, pale rose. 



