OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN FLOWERS. 301 



Veronica Pinguifolia. 



FAT-LEAVED SPEEDWELL; Nat. Ord. SCROPHULARIACEJE. 



THIS is a rather uncommon species, being of the shrubby 

 section, but unlike many of its relative kinds, it is perfectly 

 hardy, also evergreen and very dwarf; a specimen three or four 

 years old is but a diminutive bush, 18in. through and Sin. high. 

 The habit is dense, the main or old branches are prostrate, the 

 younger wood being erect and full of very short side shoots. 



The flowers are produced on the new wood; the chubby 

 flower-spikes issue from the axils of the leaves near the leading 

 shoot ; in some cases there are three, in others four, but more 

 often two. Each flower spike has a short, stout, round stem, 

 nearly an inch long, and the part furnished with buds is nearly 

 as long again. At this stage (just before they begin to open) the 

 buds are rice-shaped, snow white, waxy, and arranged cone form. 

 They are, moreover, charmingly intersected with the pale green 

 sepals in their undeveloped stage. The little bunches of buds are 

 simply exquisite. The flowers are small, pure white, waxy, and 

 twisted in the petals. The two filaments are longer than the 

 petals, having rather large anthers, which are bright purple. This 

 pleasing feature, together with the young shoots in the midst of 

 the blossoms, which have small stout glaucous leaves tipped 

 with yellow nearly golden give the clusters a bouquet-like 

 appearance. The leaves are small little more than half an inch 

 long and ovate, slightly cupped, stem-clasping, and opposite. 

 They are a pale glaucous hue, and closely grown on the stems ; 

 they greatly add to the rich effect of the flowers. 



This shrub is a most fitting subject for rockwork, and it 

 would also make an edging of rare beauty, which, if well grown, 

 no one could but admire. It seems to enjoy loam and leaf soil 

 in a moist but sunny situation. It may be propagated by 

 cuttings, taken with a part of the previous year's wood. 



Flowering period, May to July, 



Veronica Prostrata. 



PROSTRATE SPEEDWELL; Nat. Ord. SCROPHULARIACE^ZE. 



THIS is sometimes confounded with V. repens, I presume from 

 the slight distinction in the specific names, but so different are 

 the two species that no one who has seen them can possibly take 

 one for the other. V. repens is herb-like; it creeps and roots, 

 and has nearly white flowers in April ; but V. prostrata is a 

 deciduous trailer, and the more common and best form has fine 

 gentian-blue flowers; it is a capital rock plant, being most 

 effective when hanging over the face of large stones. The 

 flowers are small, and produced in rather long sprays, which are 



