42 WILD FLOWERS. 



As summer progresses, the remaining speed- 

 wells come into blossom. One species, the 

 common speedwell, (Veronica officinalis,) is in 

 flower in May, and is very frequent in dry woods 

 and pastures. It grows upright, and has a pale 

 blue spike of flowers. The leaves are bitter 

 and astringent, and are often made into tea, 

 especially on the continent. Indeed the French 

 call this flower, Th6 de VEurope. An old 

 Danish writer once contended very warmly, that 

 this plant was the identical tea of China ; and 

 before the Chinese tea had acquired a settled 

 reputation for its superior flavour and stimu- 

 lating qualities, this, as well as several other 

 plants, were recommended by herbalists as a 

 more safe and pleasant beverage. The Swedish 

 and German writers of the present day, have a 

 very high opinion of the speedwell tea. 



A small flower, the lamb's lettuce, (Valeria- 

 nella olitoria,) is now very abundant on banks 

 and in corn-fields, especially on a light soil. As 

 this flower blooms when flowers are few, it is 

 more likely to be observed than if a blossom 

 of the summer. It has very thick compact 

 clusters of tiny lilac flowers, its stem is about 

 half a foot high, and the branches spread out 

 over a good space of ground. The leaves are 

 of a pale green, and they are considered by 

 many people to have, if eaten when young, the 

 flavour of lettuce. The plant was formerly 

 cultivated for salad, and is still called by the 

 French, monk's salad, (salade de chanoine.) Its 

 English name suggests the idea of its growing at 



