WAYSIDES AND WASTES IN SPHINQ 



101 



line of haii's that changes to alternate sides at each node. A raceme 

 of flowers, much longer than the leaves, arises from several of the 

 nodes. The flowers are bright blue, about half an inch in diameter, 

 with a four-cleft calyx ; a deeply four-cleft corolla, the lower 

 lobe of which is narrowest ; and two prominent stamens. The 

 fruit is a very broad, flat capsule, notched at the top, narrowed 

 towards the base, splitting into two valves when ripe. 



The Colt'.s-foot in Early spuing. 



THK GEIUIANUEII S^l'EEUWELL. 



A fourth species, the Wall Speedwell ( V. arvensis), is abundant on 

 ^\■alls and dry roadsides. It is a prostrate, downy plant, generally 

 more or less thickly covered with dust, flowering from April to about 

 the end of summer. The stem is from four inches to a foot in 

 length, and two lines of haii's riui along the branches. The 

 leaves ai-e oval-cordate, crenate, and slightly stalked. The flowers 

 are very small and inconspicuous, and are frequently almost 

 completely hidden by the crowded upper leaves. They have very 

 short corolla-tubes, and are arranged in loose, terminal, spikehke 

 racemes. 



The Grey Field Speedwell (T. poliki) is common in waste places 



