222 SCROPHULARIACE.-E. 



glaucous, quite smooth, and widening a little towards the 

 point. The flowers are bright blue, in whorled racemes, 

 appearing in summer and lasting late. Native of North 

 America, and rather variable from seed, both in stature and 

 the colour of the flowers. 



Phygelius capensis {Cape P.) — The only species perhaps of 

 the genus, certainly the only one in cultivation. It is a hand- 

 some plant, growing erect to the height of i ^ foot to 2 feet, 

 with square smooth stems. The leaves are dark green, shining 

 somewhat, and egg-shaped, and toothed on the margin. The 

 flowers are scarlet, drooping on their stalks, arranged in open 

 terminal racemes, and appearing in summer and lasting till late 

 autumn. A good well-drained loam suits it best, but it does 

 very well in many different soils. Easily increased by division. 



Scrophularia. — The only plant worthy of mention in this 

 floriculturally uninteresting family is 6". nodosa variegata, in 

 which the leaves are finely blotched with white. It is striking 

 and handsome, succeeds in any soil, and is propagated by 

 division. The flowers are worthless, and the stems must be 

 pinched out as soon as they appear. 



Veronica {Speedwell). — A very numerous family, by far the 

 largest number of the herbaceous species being weedy or unin- 

 teresting, and unfit for any ornamental use. Such as are worthy 

 of cultivating are most accommodating plants, growing well in 

 almost any kind of soil, and readily increased by division. 



V. amethystina {Amethyst- Blue Speedwell). — The plant grows 

 about I foot or 18 inches high, with numerous stems clothed 

 with bright-green, lance-shaped, toothed leaves, on very short 

 stalks, in whorls of three or four together. The racemes are 

 terminal, and the flowers are produced in lengthened succession 

 from July, being, as implied by the name, fine amethyst blue. 

 One of the handsomest and most useful of the genus for border 

 decoration, and adapted also for introducing into sunny banks 

 and about the skirtings of shrubberies; but wherever the 

 attempt is made to naturalise it, it should be borne in mind 

 that it would be easily mastered by rank native vegetation, 

 and that this must therefore be kept in check. Native of the 

 south of Europe. 



V. Candida ( White-leaved Speediuell). — A very dwarf plant, 

 rarely exceeding in height 2 or 3 inches. It has creeping, 

 somewhat woody stems, not herbaceous and annually dying 

 away like the last, extending into neat carpet-like tufts. The 

 leaves are oblong, oval, toothed, and clothed with dense, short, 

 hoary pubescence. The flowers are in short spikes, blue, but 

 neither ornamental nor lasting in a high degree. The fofiage 



