134 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



Calyx tinged with purple. Corolla f inch long, of which the spur 

 is about one-fourth, purplish-blue, purple above ; upper lip ascend- 

 ing, recurved, 2-partite ; palate prominent, generally with 2 yellow 

 spots. Stamens 4, with the rudiment of a fifth between the inner 

 pair. Pruit about the size of a coriander-seed. Plant dark-green, 

 glabrous. 



Ivy-leaved Toadflax. 



French, Linaire Cymhalaire. German, Ephenblattriger Fraiienjlachs. 



This pretty little trailing plant is abundant on old walls in many parts of the 

 kingdom, and so abundant are its pale lilac blossoms, that it is often called " Mother 

 of thousands." In Southern Europe it is eaten as a salad, and is a good antiscorbutic, 

 but its taste is similar to that of ci-ess. According to Hamilton, it has been success- 

 fully administered in diabetes in Hindostan, being first mixed with sugar. The flowers 

 yield a yellow but not very permanent dye. 



Section II.— ELATINOIDES. Chav. 



Annual ; rarely perennial. Diffusely branched, with the lateral 

 branches generally procumbent, not creeping. Leaves mostly 

 shortly stalked, pinnately nerved, often hastate, dentate or 

 entire. Elowers axillary, distant. Corolla with the palate pro- 

 minent, closing the throat and extending much beyond the 

 upper lip. Capsule opening by 2 pores, each formed by the 

 fall of an operculum. Seeds roundish or ovate-truncate, wingless, 

 foveolate or tuberculate. 



SPECIES IL— L INARIA ELATINE. Mill. 



Plate DCCCCLVI. 



Jieick Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XX. Tab. MDCLXXX. Fig. 3. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc, No. 595. 

 Antirrhinum Elatine, Linn. Sm. Eng. Bot. No. 692. ^ 



Annual. Stems very slender, branched from the base ; branches 

 elongated, procumbent, not rooting. Lowest leaves opposite, oval, 

 with a tooth on each side near the base ; the rest alternate, 

 with petioles shorter than the lamina, ovate, triangular-hastate, 

 shortly acuminated or acute, entire. Pedicels spreading-divaricate, 

 elongated, exceeding the leaves, glabrous except at the apex. 

 Calyx-segments lanceolate, acuminated or acute. Corolla scarcely 

 twice as long as the calyx ; spur nearly as long as the corolla, 

 acute, straight or very slightly curved, making an angle exceeding 

 a right angle with the under side of the corolla. Capsule sub- 

 globular, shorter than the calyx, opening by 2 pores, each formed 



