VERONICA SERPYLLIFOLIA. 171 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. The species represented in Fig. 

 XLVI, abounds along road-sides, in hilly pastures, and old 

 grass-plots. The stem ascends 2-6' from a reclining, 

 branching base, with leaves opposite, slightly crenate, the 

 lower petiolate, roundish, the upper becoming oval, oblong, 

 and bract-like. The flowers form a loose, terminal raceme, 

 in which each is located in the axil of a bract. The corolla 

 is rotate (wheel-shaped), white, penciled with blue lines, 

 scarcely more than 1" in breadth ; and the pods roundish, 

 retusely notched. 



The Name is Veronica serpyllifblia (V. the Thyme- 

 leaved). The genus is said to have been dedicated to St. 

 Veronica * (vera, true, icon, image). It is extensive, embrac- 

 ing 150 species growing in the cooler parts of the earth. 

 The student will meet them everywhere, and may as profit- 

 ably analyze the following as the foregoing : 



V. peregrina (the Foreigner ; so it acts, but it is native), known as 

 Purslane Speedwell, or 0, 5-9' high, smoothish, with oblong, 

 toothed leaves, whitish wheel-shaped flowers, and notched pods. 



V. arvensis (the Field or Corn Speedwell) 0, hairy, with roundish 

 and ovate, crenate leaves, pale blue flowers, and obcordate pods. With 

 the first, it abounds in cultivated grounds. 



V. offlcindlis (the Officinal S.) a If in woods and pastures, ascends 

 6-12' from its decumbent base, with oval, obtuse, serrulate (finely ser- 

 rate) leaves, and the flowers in a terminal raceme. 



V. Scutdlldria will be recognized by its long lance-linear leaves 

 and axillary racemes with filiform stalks, growing in swampy places. 



* In ancient tradition, St. Veronica is represented as the daughter of Salome. 

 When she witnessed the procession to Calvary with Christ bearing his cross, she 

 wiped the drops of agony from his brow ; and thenceforth the image of the Saviour 

 was miraculously imprinted on the napkin. 



