III. VERONICA. 77 



"In flooded meadows, common." (D.) A spoiled 

 and scattered form ; the seeds too conspicuous, but the 

 flowers very delicate, hence ' Gratiola minima' in Gesuer. 

 The confused ramification of the clusters worth noting, 

 in relation to the equally straggling fibres of root. 



15. Spicata. S. 982 : very prettily done, representing 

 the inside of the flower as deep blue, the outside pale. 

 The top of the spire, all calices, the calyx being indeed, 

 through all the veronicas, an important and persistent 

 member. 



The tendency to arrange itself in spikes is to be noted 

 as a degradation of the veronic character ; connecting it 

 on one side with the snapdragons, on the other with the 

 ophryds. In Veronica Ophrydea, (C. 2210,) this resem- 

 blance to the contorted tribe is carried so far that " the 

 corolla of the veronica becomes irregular, the tube gib- 

 bous, the faux (throat)^ hairy, and three of the lacinise 

 (lobes of petals) variously twisted." The spire of blossom, 

 violet-coloured, is then close set, and exactly resembles an 

 ophryd, except in being sharper at the top. The en- 

 graved outline of the blossom is good, and very curious. 



16. Gentianoides. This is the most directly and cu- 

 riously imitative among the shall we call them 'his- 

 trionic ' types of Veronica. It grows exactly like a clus- 

 tered upright gentian ; has the same kind of leaves at its 

 root, and springs with the same bright vitality among 

 the retiring snows of the Bithynian Olympus. (G. 5.) 

 If, however, the Caucasian flower, C. 1002, be the same, 



