38 NEOBOT. 



and the last sp, the opposite leaves are realy 

 connate. 



824. Veronica diffusa R. precox atl. j. 79. 

 stem diffuse compressed pubescent, lower leaves 

 opposite, upper alternate, on short petiols, ovate 

 and rounded, serrate laciniate trinerve; pedun- 

 cles axil, solitary longer than leaves, capsule 

 compressed emarginate, — Annual very early 

 vernal blossoms blue and delicate in March and 

 April, native of . . . naturalized on the Schuyl- 

 kill near Philadelphia, I had called it V. pre- 

 cox in 1832, but there is another sp. of that 

 name. Stems often procumbent weak, one foot 

 long, leaves small, flowers pretty large, pedun- 

 cles long, capsules drooping, calix with ovate 

 equal segments. Very different from V. cha- 

 medrys and teucrium to which it is however 

 related. 



825. Veronica sparsiflora Raf. atl, j. 79. 

 stem erect simple smooth terete solid, leaves 

 opposite sessile cuneate entire obtuse smooth, 

 upper oblong ; raceme terminal elongate lax 

 pubescent, flowers scattered, bracts linear ob- 

 tuse, pedicels filiform longer, calix segments 

 oblong obtuse, two shorter, capsules bilobed sub- 

 compressed — a very distinct sp. from Arkanzas 

 and Missouri, seen alive in gardens, annual, 

 stem 1 or 2 feet high, leaves 1 or 2 inches, low- 

 er almost petiolate, flowers vernal large hand- 

 some purplish blue. By the calix quite une- 

 qual it belongs to my subgenus JBecahunga. 



826. Veronica mollis Raf. erect softly vill- 

 ose, leaves opposite sessile ovatoblong serrate 

 acute, lower and radical oblong and cuneate 

 nearly entire ; raceme terminal bracteate den- 

 siflore, bracts lanceolate equal to flowers, calix 

 lanceolate unequal. — From Origon seen alive 



