78 



WILD FLOWERS 



species, have a salver-shaped, bright blue corolla, with a yellow 

 eye : they occur in spikes at the apex of the stem : flowers in 

 summer and autumn. 



173. Variegated Forget-me-not, Myosotis versicolor, Forget- 

 me-not family. A common plant of fields and waste places : 

 the stem is slender, slightly branched, about \ to 1^ ft. high : 

 the leaves, which are mostly gathered at the base, are elliptical : 

 the flowers occur in slender spikes, are quite small, and when 

 nearly open are yellow, changing to pink, and finally to blue : 

 flowers in early summer. 



174. Viper's Bugloss, Echium vulgare. Forget-me-not family. 

 The stem is very rough with stiff hairs, and reaches a height of 



172. Forget-me-not. 



173. Variegated Forget- 

 me-not. 



1 to 2 ft. : the leaves, which are also rough, are lance-shaped 

 and fairly large : the flowers are massed in a handsome terminal 

 spike : the corolla is tubular and twisted, at first dull purple, 

 but, when fully open, changing to a deep blue : not uncommon 

 on dry banks, flowering in summer. 



175. Germander Speedwell, Veronica Chamcedrys, Foxglove 

 family. A very pretty woodland flower : the stem is more or 

 less prostrate, with pairs of sessile, ovate, serrate leaves ; from the 

 axils of the upper leaves arise slender stalks, each with a spike 

 of large blue flowers : the corolla has 4 petals, very unequal in 

 size, the lower one being much smaller than the others. A very 

 different-looking plant is the Brooklime, V. Beccabunga, which is 

 common in ditches : the stem is thick, with pairs of smooth, 

 fleshy leaves : the little spikes of flowers resemble those of the 

 Speedwell, though the flowers are smaller. 



176. Bugle, Ajuga reptans, Dead-nettle family. A common 



