4 SCROPHULARINE^ 



several bushy plants and ferns growing there, a shrubby Veronica was 

 intermingled ; and he remarks that higher up the sides of the mountains a 

 beautiful alpine flora makes its appearance, unrivalled in beauty by those of 

 any Antarctic country. Such are the species of gentian and a Veronica, with 

 flowers ofi ntensest blue, several magnificent compound flowers, a ranunculus, 

 and a liliaceous plant, whose dense spikes of gold are often so abundant as 

 to attract the eye at a considerable distance. This latter plant, the 

 Chrysohadron rossii, often renders large spots of so golden a hue as to be seen 

 at a distance of some miles from the shore. Sir Joseph Hooker remarks of 

 these regions, that the vegetation is abundant, but the species of plants few 

 in number. 



5. Flesh-coloured Speedwell {V. fndicuUsa). — Eaceme many- 

 flowered, downy, with glandular hairs; leaves leathery, elliptic-lanceolate, 

 somewhat serrated ; stem ascending, woody, branched at the base ; capsule 

 egg-shaped, with 2-cleft valves ; perennial. The flesh-coloured flowers of 

 this species expand in July. The plant was found many years ago on Ben 

 Oruachan by Dr. Walker, and on Ben Lawers by Dr. R. Brown, but has not 

 been seen by any other botanists. 



* * * Bacemes axillary. 



6. Marsh Speedwell (F. scutelldia). — Racemes alternate; fruit-stalks 

 reflexed ; leaves sessile, linear, somewhat toothed ; capsule of two flattened 

 roundish lobes ; stem erect ; perennial. This species is found on the sides 

 of ditches, and on other boggy places, having a long weak stem, and pale 

 flesh-coloured or white blossoms, with darker bluish lines on the petals ; the 

 clusters of flowers are nearly opposite each other, and appear in July and 

 August. The stem sends out creeping scions from its base. 



7. Water Speedwell (V. anagdUis). — Leaves lanceolate, serrated, 

 acute, sessile ; racemes opposite ; fruit-stalks spreading ; capsule slightly 

 notched ; stem erect ; perennial, the stem sending out scions. This is a 

 pretty flower, frequent in England, in ditches, or on their borders ; and 

 having, in July and August, pale lilac or white flowers. The whole plant is 

 usually smooth, but sometimes the long many-flowered racemes are slightly 

 hairy. The stem is thick, hollow, and succulent, about a foot high. The 

 plant is less frequent in Scotland than in England. 



8. Brooklime (F. heccabunga). — Leaves stalked, elliptical, obtuse, with 

 rounded notches at the margin ; racemes opposite ; fruit-stalks spreading ; 

 capsule swollen, roundish, slightly notched ; stem prostrate at the base, root- 

 ing ; perennial. The Brooklime is a very frequent plant, having, in its 

 ordinary form, bright blue flowers, with bracts shorter than the stalks, but 

 found occasionally, as at Dalkeith, with longer bracts and pink or flesh- 

 coloured blossoms. It is a pretty succulent plant, with dark but bright green 

 thick leaves, and a stout juicy stem about a foot high. Its brilliant little 

 corollas may be seen glistening among the reeds by the watercourse from 

 May to September. It is very pungent, and well deserves its name, which 

 is said to be a corruption of the old Flemish Beckpungen, mouth-smart, 

 Beccahmga may be, however, derived from the name by which the plant is 

 still known in Germany, Bach-hung e ; " bach " being, like our old English 



