VERONICA. 213 



and S. 971, seems to me not more meekly recumbent, nor 

 more frankly cultureless, than the so-called Polita, S. 972 : 

 there seems also no French acknowledgment of its polite- 

 ness, and the Greek family, G. 8, seem the rudest and wildest 

 of all. 



Quite & field flower it is, I believe, lying always low on the 

 ground, recumbent, but not creeping. Note this difference : 

 no fastening roots are thrown out by the reposing stems of 

 this Veronica ; a creeping or accurately ' rampant ' plant roots 

 itself in advancing. Conf. Nos. 5, 6. 



4. Arvensis. We have yet to note a still finer distinction 

 in epithet. ' Agrestis ' will properly mean a flower of the open 

 ground yet not caring whether the piece of earth be culti- 

 vated or not, so long as it is under clear sky. But when agri- 

 culture has turned the unfruitful acres into ' arva beata,' if 

 then the plant thrust itself between the furrows of the plough, 

 it is properly called ' Arvensis.' 



I don't quite see my way to the same distinction in English, 

 perhaps I may get into the habit, as time goes on, of calling 

 the Arvenses consistently furrow-flowers, and the Agrestes 

 field-flowers. Furrow-veronica is a tiresomely long name, but 

 must do for the present, as the best interpretation of its Latin 

 character, " vulgatissima in cultis et arvis," D. 515. The 

 blossom itself is exquisitely delicate ; and we may be thankful, 

 both here and in Denmark, for such a lovely ' vulgate.' 



5. Montana. D. 1201. The first really creeping plant we 

 have had to notice. It throws out roots from the recumbent 

 stems. Otherwise like agrestis, it has leaves like ground-ivy. 

 Called a wood species in the text of D. 



6. Persica. An eastern form, but now perfectly natural- 

 ized here D. 1982 ; S. 973. The flowers very large, and ex- 

 tremely beautiful, but only one springing from each leaf-axil. 



Leaves and stem like Montana ; and also creeping with new 

 roots at intervals. 



7m Triphylla (not triphyllos, see Flora Suecica, 22). 

 Meaning trifid-leaved ; but the leaf is really divided into 

 five lobes, not three see S. 974, and G. 10. The palmate 

 form of the leaf seems a mere caprice, and indicates no transi- 



