3450 



VERONICA 



VERONICA 



opposite, upper more or less verticillate, pubescent 

 below, very acute, 2J4-4 in. long: racemes long, erect, 

 spiciform, dense: fls. lilac, numerous: caps, longer than 

 broad, notched, a little exceeding the linear sepals or 

 sometimes exceeded by them. Becomes black in drying. 

 July-Sept. Wet fields, Cent, and E. Eu. and N. Asia. 

 Much cult, and hybridized. Has several varieties. A 

 fine border plant and the most common species, growing 

 and flowering freely in any good soil. Var. alba, Hort. 

 (F. maritime, var. dlba, Hort.), grows 1-1 J^ ft. high: 

 fls. white. Var. glauca, Hort., has glaucous blue foliage: 

 fls. rich purple. Var. rdsea, Hort. (F. rosea, Hort. F. 

 hybrida rbsea i Hort. F. maritime, var. rosea, Hort.), a 

 probable variety with pink fls., 2 ft. high and much 

 branched. Hardy in Mass. Prop, by division and cut- 

 tings. Var. subsessilis, Miq. (F. subsessilis, Hort.). 

 Fig. 3914. More erect, compact and robust than the 

 type, 2-3 ft. high, growing in clumps with numerous 

 side branches and of a good habit: Ivs. 2-4 in. long, 

 according to the richness of the soil: spikes longer and 

 fls. larger than of the type and of an intense lustrous 

 blue. Aug.-Oct. Japan. B.M. 6407. R.H. 1881:270. 

 G.C. II. 16:789. J.H. III. 59:253. A good border 

 plant and considered the best speedwell; thrives in deep 

 rich soil in an open position. Var. villSsa, Hort. (F. 

 villbsa, Schrad. F. crenulata, Hoffm.). A Siberian form 

 with narrower Ivs. than the type and large blue fls. Lvs. 

 serrate or doubly notched or incised. 



7. spicata, Linn. (F. crassifblia, Wierzb. F. 

 hybrida, Linn.). Ascending or erect, slender sts. 2-4 

 ft. high, growing from a shortly creeping, almost woody 

 rootstock: Ivs. lanceolate, lance-oblong or the lower 

 ovate, opposite or verticillate, crenate, downy, 1J/2-2 

 in. long, thick: racemes long, upright, densely many-fld.: 

 fls. pedicelled, clear blue or sometimes pale pink; sta- 

 mens very long, purple: caps, longer than broad, 

 notched, thick, exceeding the broad hairy sepals. June- 

 Aug. Hilly pastures, Eu. and N. Asia. Gn. 68, p. 55: 

 78, p. 157. J.H. III. 47:15. Thrives in an open soil 

 away from shade. Regarded as one of the better border 

 speedwells. Var. alba, Hort. (F. crassifolia var. dlba, 

 Hort.), is said to grow 6-18 in. high and have white fls. 

 Var. corymbdsa, Hort., is offered in the trade as a 

 form growing 1 ft. high: fls. pale blue. Var. nana, Hort., 

 is offered as a form 6-9 in. high: fls. blue. Var. rosea, 

 Hort., grows 15-18 in. high: fls. purplish pink, showy. 

 July and early autumn. Var. superba, Hort., is offered 

 in the trade as growing 2 ft. high and having long spikes 

 of violet fls. Var. variegata, Hort., is offered as a form 

 growing 1^ ft- high, with variegated foliage and blue 



8. incana, Linn. (F. cdndida, Hort. F. negleda, 

 Vahl). Strong, upright or ascending, white-woolly 

 plant 12-18 in. high, with many sterile matted branches 

 and fewer fertile erect branches: Ivs. opposite, acute, 

 lower oblong, upper lanceolate, 1-3 in. long, white- 

 tomentose: racemes erect, solitary to several, 3-6 in. 

 long: fls. many, blue, short-pedicelled : caps, longer than 

 broad, thick, exceeding the woolly calyx. July-Sept. 

 Fields and mountain regions. N. Asia, and S. W. Eu. 

 Resembles F. spicata in habit. Has a good appearance 

 both in and out of bloom ; useful in the rockery, border, 

 or geometrical garden. Var. candidissima, Hort., has 

 Ivs. larger and not so hoary as the type: fls. pale blue. 

 Var. glauca, Hort., is offered as a form with silvery 

 foliage and deep blue fls. 



Section III. VERONICASTRUM. 

 A. Duration annual: floral Ivs. usually 

 about like the lower cauline Ivs. 

 (Subsection 4- Annuae.) 



B. Cauline Ivs. sessile 17. syriaca 



BB. Cauline hs. petioled 18. glauca 



AA. Duration perennial, base usually some- 

 what woody: floral Ivs. usually much 

 smaller than the lower cauline Ivs. 



B. Habit erect or ascending: raceme 

 usually somewhat elongated. (Sub- 

 section 3. Alpinse.) 

 c. Plants 2-6 in. high. 



D. Fls. blue or violet 14. alpina 



DD. Fls. rose or white 16. repens 



CC. Plants Y^-4 ft- high (seldom less 

 than 9 or 10 in.). 



D. Lvs. 1-3 in. or more long 13. gentianoides 



DD. Lvs. V^-y^in. long 15. serpyllifolia 



BB. Habit diffuse, low and much 

 branched: raceme usually much 

 shortened. 



c. Jnfl. capitate, several-fld. (Sub- 

 section 1. Diffusse.) 



D. Blades linear-spatulate 10. caespitosa 



DD. Blades ovate, orbicular or 

 oblong-spatulate. 



E. Surface of Ivs. glabrous 9. Nummularia 



EE. Surface of Ivs. white-tomen- 



tose 11. bombycina 



CC. Infl. a very short (in fr. elongated) 

 raceme, few-fld. (Subsection 2. 

 Fruticulosse.) 12. fruticulosa 



Subsection 1. DIFFUSE. 



9. Nummularia, Gouan. Perennial: sts. slender, 

 creeping, becoming somewhat woody, diffusely 

 branched: lowest Ivs. scale-like, the others clustered, 

 ovate-orbicular, obtuse, entire, about 2 lines long, 

 rather thick, glabrous: racemes somewhat capitate, 

 pubescent: fls. blue or pink; corolla with the lowest 

 segms. much larger than the others: caps, small, broad, 

 rather glabrous. Pyrenees. 



10. caespitdsa, Boiss. Perennial, diffuse, cespitose: 

 sts. 1-3 in. high, densely foliate: Ivs. rather thick, about 

 H m -.long, clustered, linear-spatulate, obtuse, entire, 

 margin revolute: raceme subsessile, 1-4-fld.: fls. large, 

 rose; calyx lanate, segms. oblong-linear: caps, glabrous, 

 obcordate, transversely broader. Greece, Asia Minor, 

 and Syria. 



11. bombycina, Boiss. & Kotschy. Perennial, low, 

 cespitose, forming cushions, appressed white-silky: Ivs. 

 very small, about 2 lines long, sessile, ovate or oblong- 

 spatulate: fls. 1-5, terminal, reddish; calyx-teeth 

 oblong, obtuse; corolla more than twice as long as 

 calyx: caps, small, orbicular, tomentose. July. Syria. 

 In the trade abroad this species is described as 

 having pale lavender fls. 



Subsection 2. FRUTICULOS^!. 



12. fruticul&sa, Linn. (F. saxdtilis, Scop.). Perennial 

 or shrubby: sts. diffusely branched, 2-6 in. high, woody 

 at base: Ivs. }4-y&&- long, oblong or obovate, entire or 

 subcrenate: raceme lax, short, few-fld., pubescent: fls. 

 blue or flesh-colored: caps, ovate. July. Mountains of 

 Eu. and Greenland. There is a white-fld. form horti- 

 culturally known as V. saxdtilis dlba and also a form 

 known in the trade as V. saxdtilis Grievei. Possibly 

 not all material known as F. saxatilis belongs here. 



Subsection 3. ALPINES. 



13. gentianoides, Vahl (F. glaber, Hort.). Erect, 

 slender, tufted species 6-24 in. high, from creeping 

 roots: Ivs. obovate or oblong, some lanceolate or linear, 

 thickish, entire or small crenate, smooth, 1-3 in. long; 

 root-lvs. more or less in rosettes; upper Ivs. bract-like, 

 smaller and narrower: raceme elongated, leafy, many- 

 fld., hairy: fls. pale blue, with darker streaks, on long 

 pedicels: caps, nearly round, slightly notched, exceed- 

 ing the calyx. Wet alpine fields, S. E. Eu. B.M. 1002. 

 A hardy species in any soil or location, shade-endur- 

 ing though not necessarily shade-loving, blooming early. 

 Prop, by division. Forms a mat and makes a good 

 ground-cover for bare spots in midsummer; also a 

 valuable border plant. One of the earliest. Var. alba, 

 Hort., is a white-fld. form. Var. foliis variegatis, Hort., 



