VERONICA. 



baso, and on shorter up the erect stems of 5 or 6 inches that ond in a 

 loose spray of largo pale blossoms veined with a richer lilac. 



V. sessilijlora is a Siberian of 2 foot high, with flowers of dark deep 

 bluish tono in August. 



I'. spicata is a rare native, and in its native state pretty, when it 

 wanders with fine shoots over the lawns of Cartmel, and sends up dense 

 little fluffy spikes of dark-blue after the fashion of V. Allionii. How- 

 over, it varies most copiously, and is usually so much taller as to be 

 a treasure beloved by borders, whore the rock-garden need not be 

 concerned to grudge it. Thore are many variotics in shades of white 

 and pink and purple : through all the summer they are all in flower : 

 but the only one with which we have much business is the aforesaid 

 noat i^mall form V. sp. alpina, not more than 4 inches high in stem and 

 spike. 



T. spuria is a terminal-sprayed tall species of no value. 



V. Stelleri in the meadows of Japan makes no successful attempt to 

 rival V. Chamaedrys. 



V. stenobotrys is a V. melissaefolia with narrower foliage. 



V. surculosa comes nearer to V. cuneifolia, but has the flower- 

 sprays much shorter and denser, the head remaining oval even in fruit. 

 These come up on quite short stems from the shorter shoots of the 

 tuft, and are much more usually produced in pairs, carrying blossoms 

 of bright azure, erect on their tiny foot-stalks in the spike. The downy 

 leaves are rather long, wedge-shaped obovate, with two or three 

 scallopings on each edge. V. surculosa lives in stony places high up in 

 the Cilician Taurus, and in the garden is as free and easy and pleasant 

 as the rest of the group. 



V. taurica is a small compressed form of V. orientalis. 



V. telephiifolia has most especial daintiness. It lives on Ararat, 

 but not at all less happily in our gardens, where it makos flat sheets 

 of tiny rosettes, built of minute rounded almost fleshy foliage in the most 

 lovely shade of glaucous-blue. From this, in summer, arise very short 

 stems of 2 or 3 inches, bearing an oval spray of clear blue blossoms. 

 This should have a place among the choicest things in select bank or 

 moraine, and may be most readily multiplied by separation of the 

 shoots. There is also a variety V. t. pilosula, from Transcaucasia, 

 which is apt to have the leafage a trifle larger. 



V. Teucrium is V. prostrata of Smith's Prodromus (not of Linnaeus), 

 and has given birth to that most superb of garden Spoedwclls, the 

 thing sent out as V. " rupestris," and hotter to bo known as V. T. 

 dubia, whoso cataracts of growth, and crowded spires of intense azuro, 

 are tho joy of every garden, big or little — a form of indestructible 



432 



