740 



VER 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



VER 



is a strengthener, and provocative to venery; and is, by some, 

 ridiculously supposed to be a cure for barrenness. It varies 

 in the colour of the flowers, pale blue, pale red, and white ; 

 but what is much more remarkable, it has been found abroad 

 with double flowers. Native of Europe, on dry sandy pas- 

 tures and heaths : it is not uncommon in England, flowering 

 from May or June to August. 



18. Veronica Allionii; Shining-leaved Speedwell. Spikes 

 lateral, peduncled ; leaves opposite, roundish, shining, rigid. 

 Stems smooth, creeping ; root perennial; creeping ; flowers 

 very numerous, violet-coloured. It is plentiful on the Alps 

 of Switzerland, and also upon the Pyrenees. 



19. Veronica Decussata ; Cross-leaved Speedwell. Ra- 

 cemes axillary, few-flowered; leaves elliptic, perennial, quite 

 entire; stem shrubby. Branchlets alternate, spreading, 

 round, or indistinctly quadrangular; corolla milk-white, with 

 the divisions nearly equal, spreading, and the orifice beard- 

 less. Native of the Falkland Islands. This is a hardy green- 

 house plant, and, according to Mr. Curtis, is entitled to our 

 admiration, on account of its large and elegant flowers, and 

 their most delicious fragrance. It may be placed with the 

 Myrtles ; and in mild winters it will even stand secure in 

 the open air, in a warm soil and sheltered situation. It is 

 usually and readily increased by cuttings. 



** Corymb racemed. 



20. Veronica Aphylla; Naked-stalked Speedwell. Corymb 

 terminating; scape naked; leaves obovate, crenate, hairy. 

 Stems not longer than a finger, very slender, somewhat vil- 

 iose, leafless, few-flowered ; corolla tinged with blue. It 

 varies considerably, and commonly appears as a single tuft 

 of villose rounded leaves; but sometimes with several stems 

 creeping to right and left, forming tufts here and there, and 

 bearing only two or three flowers upon each. There is also 

 a variety of greater size in all the parts. It flowers in May; 

 and is a native of the southern Alps of Europe, and north of 

 Asia, but has not been observed in Great Britain. 



21. Veronica Bellidioides ; Daisy-leaved, Speedwell. Co- 

 rymb terminating; stem simple, ascending, leaves obtuse, 

 crenate; calices hirsute ; spike of pale grayish-bine flowers 

 terminating the stem. The whole of the herbage is more or 

 less hairy. It flowers in June and July. Native of the Alps 

 of Switzerland, especially about Aigle, Piedmont, Dauphiny, 

 And Silesia. 



22. Veronica Gentianoides ; Gentian-leaved Speedwell. 

 Corymb terminating, hairy; leaves lanceolate, cartilaginous 

 at the edge, the lower connate, sheathing. Root perennial ; 

 stem in its wild state about five inches high, but by cultiva- 

 tion rises to two feet, with a lax habit, and long cluster of 

 numerous flowers; corolla large, beautiful, of a deep blue; 

 footstalks hairy. Found by Tournefort in Cappadocia. 



23. Veronica Ponae; Pona's Speedwell. Racemes termi- 

 nating; stem quite simple; leaves cordate-ovate, toothed, 

 sessile. Root perennial. Native of the Pyrenees. 



24. Veronica Fruticulosa; Flesh-coloured Shrubby Speed- 

 well. Corymb terminating, many-flowered, spiked; leaves 

 elliptic-lanceolate; stems erect; capsule ovate, four-valved. 

 JTI strong woody roots, and stems branching and intricate at 

 (heir base, this agrees with the following species; but the 

 flowering-branches are perfectly upright, four to six inches in 

 height, each bearing a spike rather than a corymb, composed 

 'if a considerable number of flesh-coloured flowers. In both, 

 the flowering branches are merely annuals, though the stem 

 below is woody, and truly perennial, so that the latter ought 

 rather to be esteemed the naked crown of the root. Native 

 of the mountains of Switzerland, Austria, Piedmont, Dau- 

 phiny, and the Pyrenees. 



25. Veronica Saxatilis ; Blue Rock Speedwell. Corymb 

 terminating, few-flowered; leaves elliptic; stems diffused; 

 capsule ovate, four-valved. The root runs deeply into the 

 fissures of rocks, and the woody, branching, entangled stems, 

 form small tufts, whence the simple, leafy, round, downy, 

 flowering branches, three or four inches long, spread in every 

 direction. From three to six large handsome dark blue 

 flowers grow in a short terminating corymb, the pedicels of 

 which are twice or thrice as long as the corresponding bractes. 

 Orifice of the corolla elegantly tinged with red. This beau- 

 tiful little plant has been long known in curious collections : 

 it is akin to the last species, with which many botanists have 

 confounded it; it differs, however, in the stems being diffused, 

 the leaves shorter and rounder, and the flowers of a rich 

 ultra-marine blue. Native of Switzerland, Austria, Den- 

 mark, Norway, and Scotland ; found, in the last, upon Ben 

 Lawers. 



26. Veronica Alpina; Alpine Speedwell. Corymb termi- 

 nating, subspiked ; leaves ovate, smooth, subserrate ; calix 

 ciliate ; stem ascending, simple. Root perennial, of long- 

 simple fibres ; flowers small, in a short dense blunt spike or 

 corymb, afterwards lengthened out into a raceme , corolla 

 bright blue. It flowers in July and August. Native of the 

 mountains of Europe, from Lapland to Savoy. 



27. Veronica Integrifolia ; Entire-leaved Speedwell. Co- 

 rymb terminating; leaves opposite, elliptic, obtuse, quite en- 

 tire; calices hairy; corolla small, blue or white. Native of 

 the Palatinate, Bohemia, and Silesia. 



28. Veronica Serpyllifolia; Smooth Speedwell, or Paul's 

 Betony. Raceme terminating, subspiked ; leaves ovate, snb- 

 crenate, three-nerved, smooth ; capsule obcordate, shorter 

 than the style. Roots perennial, fibrous, and the prostrate 

 stems throw out numerous radicles, by which the plant is 

 much increased. In wet places the whole herb is very 

 smooth and shining, rather fleshy; but in very dry spots it 

 becomes all over downy. Native of Europe, Siberia, Bar- 

 bary, and North America: it is common with us in pastures 

 that are rather moist, sometimes in the shady parts of culti- 

 vated grounds, flowering in the early part of summer. 



29. Veronica Tenella. Leaves oblong, crenate; stems 

 creeping; calices villose. This is thought to be a variety of 

 the foregoing species. Native of the Piedmont alps, &c. 



30. Veronica Beccabunga ; Broad-leaved Brooklime, or 

 Water Speedwell. Racemes lateral; leaves elliptic, flat; 

 stem creeping. Root perennial ; stems procumbent or float- 

 ing in their lower part, sending out long fibrous radicles from 

 the joints, round, succulent, smooth, and shining; leaves of 

 rich bright green, from one to two inches long, on short 

 broad stalks; clusters axillary, opposite, erect, longer than 

 the leaves, composed of numerous blue flowers, in perfection 

 about June or July. The leaves are mild and succulent, and 

 may be eaten with water-cresses, as a salad, in the spring: 

 they have a bitterish subastringent taste, but manifest little 

 or no acrimony, nor any peculiar odour. To derive any ad- 

 vantage from it, the juice must be used in large quantities, or 

 the fresh plants eaten as food. The juice of this plant may 

 either be taken alone, or mixed with the juice of water-cress, 

 or any other plant of similar virtues. An infusion of this 

 plant, in boiling water, is diuretic, and serviceable in the 

 jaundice and dropsy. The leaves, bruised and applied to 

 green wounds, soon heal them; and made into a poultice, 

 and applied to the part, they give ease in the piles, it is 

 generally gathered for medical purposes ; and, together with 

 Scurvy-grass, is an ingredient in that nauseous composition 

 called Spring juices. Native of linropr, Siberia, and Bar- 

 bary, in clear ditches and limpid streams. 



