172 FLOWERS OF ROCKS, WALLS, ETC. 



grows Vernal Grass, Sandwort Spurrey, Rue-leaved Saxifrage, Mouse- 

 ear Hawkvveed, and other plants, 



A small, erect, sometimes branched plant, Wall Speedwell has a 

 rigid habit which marks it off from others of the group. It is a 

 downy plant with the lower 5 leaves stalked, heart-shaped, purplish 

 below, blunt, flat, notched. The upper leaves are stalkless and twisted. 

 When it grows on walls the leaves at the base are purple. The hairs 

 are jointed, and arranged on the lower part of the stem in two rows. 



The numerous flowers are slightly stalked, in a spiked raceme, with 



I'hoto. Dr. bumerviile HuMinys 



WALL SPEEDWELL (Veronica arvcnsis, L.) 



long, linear bracts exceeding the flowers. The flowers are deep blue, 

 and fall at the least touch. The calyx has lance-shaped sepals, oval, 

 hairy, covered with glands; the corolla is wheel-like, with a short white 

 tube. The limb is divided into 4 segments. The capsule is flat, in- 

 versely heart-shaped, pale-brown, and the seeds are oval, flattened at 

 the border, with a depression down the middle. 



The stem may be 3-9 in. high. The flowers open in April, and 

 flowering continues till July. The plant is annual, propagated by seeds. 



The floral mechanism is closely similar to that of V. hcdcncfolia, 

 but the corolla is very small and pale-blue with a white eye. The 

 style is very short, and the flowers are in a terminal raceme. 



The capsule is winged, and dispersed by the wind, and the seeds, 

 being flat, are also adapted for this. 



