330 THE SCROPHULARtA FAMILY. 



globular, with short, broad lobes ; the 2 upper ones erect and united 

 into an upper lip ; the 2 lateral ones often shorter and erect ; the 

 lowest one turned downwards. Stamens 4, turned downwards, with 

 1 -celled anthers ; a fifth barren stamen usually forming a scale under 

 the upper lip. Capsule 2-celled, opening at the partition in 2 valves. 



The species are numerous, having their great centre in the Medi- 

 terranean region, and in central Asia, a few only extending over 

 the rest of Europe, northern Asia, and a part of North America. 

 The shape of the corolla readily distinguishes the genus from all 

 others. 



Leaves glabrous. Panicle almost leafless. 



Stem acutely angled but not winged, with numerous knotty 

 tubers at its base. Leaves acute. Border of the sepals 

 very narrow l. S. nodosa. 



Stem 4-winged, without tubers at the base. Leaves usually ob- 

 tuse. Sepals with a conspicuous scarious border . . . 2. S. aquatica. 

 Leaves downy. Panicle leafy at the base, or cymes all axillary. 



Leaves cordate-triangular. Flowers dull purple, with a scale 



under the upper lip . 3. S. Scorodonia. 



Leaves orbicular or broadly cordate. Flowers yellow, without 



any scale under the upper lip 4. S. vernalis. 



1. S. nodosa, Linn. (fig. 742). Figwort. A coarse, erect perennial, 

 2 to 3 feet high, glabrous or nearly so, with a disagreeable smell ; the 

 short stock emitting a number of small green knots or tubers. Stem 

 sharply quadrangular. Leaves large, broadly ovate or heart-shaped, 

 pointed, and doubly crenate or serrate. Panicle loosely pyramidal or 

 oblong, usually sprinkled with minute glandular hairs. Lobes of the 

 calyx rounded, with a very narrow, often scarcely perceptible, scarious 

 border. Tube of the corolla of a pale greenish purple, twice as long 

 as the calyx ; the upper lip more deeply coloured, much longer than 

 the lateral lobes. 



In rather moist cultivated and waste grounds, in Europe, Russian 

 Asia, and some parts of North America. Extends all over Britain. PL. 

 all summer. 



2. S. aquatica, Linn. (fig. 743). Water S. Very variable in size, 

 but is generally taller and rather less branched than S. nodosa, which 

 it much resembles in habit; and in flowers. The angles of the stem 

 project into narrow wings, there are no tubers at its base, and the 

 leaves are not so broad, and more obtuse. Panicle long and narrow. 

 Lobes of the calyx surrounded by a scarious border, much more con- 

 spicuous than in S. nodosa. Corolla of a dull purple. 



In wet places, along ditches and sides of streams, in Europe and 

 Russian Asia. Abundant in England, from Berwick southwards. Fl. 

 summer. It varies in the shape of the scale -or barren stamen under the 

 upper lip of the corolla, in station, and in the more or less acute teeth 

 of the leaves, and two species have been generally distinguished : S. 

 Ehrharti, Stevens, is a more luxuriant and leafy plant, with the scale 

 reniform, much broader than long, and the capsule nearly globular ; 

 and S. Balbisii, growing in drier situations, the leaves more pointed, the 

 scale often nearly orbicular, and the capsule more ovoid and pointed ; 

 but these differences in foliage and capsule do not always correspond 

 with those of the shape of the scale, which will often vary fn different 

 flowers of the same plant. 



