BROOM-RAPE FAMILY 37 I 



15. V. montdna (Mountain Speedwell). — A similar species, but 

 with stem hairy all round : leaves stalked ; fewer, smaller, paler 

 flowers in a shorter raceme ; and capsule much longer than the 

 calyx. — Moist woods ; common. — Fl. May — September. Peren- 

 nial. 



16. V. scutelldta (Marsh Speedwell). — A weak, straggling, 

 generally glabrous plant ; leaves sessile, linear-lanceolate, slightly 

 toothed ; flowers pale pink in alternate racemes ; capsules of 2 

 large, flat, round lobes on slender reflexed stalks. — Marshes ; 

 common. — Fl. June — August. Perennial. 



17. V. Anagdllis-aqudiica (Water Speedwell). — A stout, gla- 

 brous, succulent, erect, slightly-branched plant, i — 2 feet high ; 

 stem hollow ; leaves sessile, sometimes auricled, lanceolate, serrate ; 

 flowers i in. across, pale pink or white, in opposite racemes. — 

 Stagnant water ; common. — Fl. June — August. Perennial. 



18. V. Beccabufiga (Brooklime). — A very similar species, but 

 smaller, with stem rooting at the base; stalked, oval, blunt, 

 slightly serrate leaves ; and opposite racemes of bright blue 

 flowers,' ^ in. across. — Brooks and ditches; common, growing 

 with Watercresses and Water-Parsnip. — Fl. May — September. 

 Perennial. 



Ord. LVI. Orobanchace.^ — Broom-rape Family 



A small Order of succulent, brownish plants, all of which are 

 either parasitical on the roots of other plants or are partly sapro- 

 phytes, living, that is, upon decaying organic matter. They have 

 no true leaves, but are more or less clothed with fleshy, pointed 

 scales, which are most abundant near the base of the stem. The 

 flowers are large for the size of the plant, and arranged in a spike 

 or raceme, with one or more scale- like bracts at the base of each 

 flower. The calyx is persistent ; the corolla monosymmetric, 

 usually 2 -lipped, imbricate in the bud, persistent ; stamens 4, 

 didynamous ; ovary in a fleshy disk, i-chambered, many-ovuled; 

 style I, stigma 2-lobed, capsule 2-valved ; seeds small, numerous, 

 parietal. The seeds, it is said, will lie buried for some years in 

 the ground without germinating, until they come in contact with 

 the young roots of some plant adapted to their w^ants, w^hen they 

 immediately sprout, and seize on the points of the roots, which 

 swell, and serve as a base to the parasite. There are but two 

 English genera belonging to this Order, Orohdnche and Lathrc^a, 

 some species of which are confined to particular species of host 

 plants, w^hilst others have a wider range. The species oWrobdnche 

 are difficult to discriminate. 

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