154 SCROPHULARIACEJB. [ VEBOJSICA. 



18. VERONICA, Linn, ; PI. Brit. Ind. iv, 291. 



Herbs or shrnbs, rarely trees. Leaves opposite, the oauline or all 

 rarely alternate. Flowers usually blue or purple, solitary, axillary or 

 in terminal or axillary racemes, bracts usually conspicuous, bracteoles 

 none. Calyx 4-5-parfcite, the lower segments connate, upper (if 

 present) smaller. Corolla rotate or shortly salver-shaped ; lobes 4 or 

 6, spreading, the lateral, or one of them, outside in bud. Stamens 2, 

 exserted, adnate to corolla- tube by the sides of the upper lobe ; 

 anther-cells confluent at their tips. Ovary 2-celled, stigma subcapi- 

 tate ; ovules many or few, rarely only 2 in each cell. Fruit a com- 

 pressed or turgid 2-grooved capsule, dehiscing in various ways. 

 deeds many or few, smooth or rugose, sometimes winged. Species 

 over 200, mostly in temperate and alpine regions of both hemispheres, 

 less frequent in America. 



Leaves oblong or linear-oblong, flowers in axillary 

 racemes. An erect perennial usually glabrous 

 herb . . . 1. V. Anagallis. 



Leaves cordate-ovate or orbicular, flowers in 

 terminal racemes. A prostrate pubescent annual 2. V. agrestis. 



1. V. Anagallis, Linn. 8p. PL 12; Royle III. 290', F.B.I, iv, 293; 

 Collett Fl. 8iml. 357 ; Prain Beng. PL 773 ; Cooke FL Bomb, ii, 301. V, 

 punctata, Buch.-Ham. in Don Prod. 93. V. Anagallis, var. punctata, 

 F.B.I. l.c. ; Prain Beng. PL Zc. 



An erect more or less succulent glabrous herb, 3-18 in. high. Stems 

 hollow, creeping below and atoloniferous. Leaves sessile or the lowest 

 shortly stalked, 2-6 in. long, /oblong-lanceolate, or linear-oblong, 

 entire or serrate, base usually c ^rdate. Flowers in lax axillary racemes, 

 3-6 in. long ; pedicels filiform, spreading, longer than the linear-lanceo- 

 late bracts. Calyx about half as long as the pedicels, divided to the 

 base ; segments ovate, subacute. ^ Corolla - in. across, pale-purple or 

 white. Capsules compressed, -g--^ in. long, orbicular or orbicular-oblong, 

 emarginate, glabrous. 



Abundant in wet places. Flowers in the cold season. DISTRIB, : Over 

 the greater part of India, and up to 9,000 ft. on the Himalaya and at 

 much higher elevations in Baltistan. Found also in Europe, N. 

 America, and in nearly all warm and temperate regions of the world. 



2. V. agrestis, Linn. 8p. PL 13; Eoyle III. 290 ; F.B.I, iv, 294; Collett 

 Fl.8iml.357; Prain Beng. PL 773. 



A prostrate more or less pubescent annual. Stems spreading, 6-18 in., 

 long, much-branched. Leaves shortly petioled, |-1 in. long, broadly 

 ovate-cordate, or orbicular, coarsely crenate-serrate. Pedicels axillary 



