VERONICA. 



255 



thick, straight, smooth, and round. 



Hungary. Borders, among dwarf 



shrubs, or naturalization, in ordinary 

 soil. Division. 



Veronica fruticulosa (Fruticulose 

 Speedwell). Very closely allied to 

 V. saxatilis and perhaps only a variety 

 of it ; 3 to 6 in. high. Flowers, in 

 summer; flesh-coloured, with deeper 

 veins, in loose many -flowered racemes; 

 segments of calyx obtuse. Leaves, 

 small, opposite, upper ones oblong, 

 obtuse, entire or nearly so ; stems 

 erect, slightly woody, and rather 

 downy. Alps and Pyrenees, and one 

 or two places in Scotland, but rare. 



The rock-garden and the margins 



of borders, in sandy loam. Division, 

 cuttings, or seed. 



Veronica gentianoides (Gentian- 

 leaved Speedwell). A somewhat showy 

 and pleasing kind, with simple ascend- 

 ing stems smooth below, forming a 

 carpet of shining leathery lea ves ; 1 to 

 2 ft. high. Flowers, in early summer ; 

 pale blue with darker blue streaks, in 

 a loose terminal spiked raceme ; upper 

 segment of the corolla smaller than 

 the side ones ; calyx hairy, 4-parted, 

 segments equal. Leaves, of root, re- 

 sembling those of Gentiana acaulis, 

 but longer, often 6 in. long, opposite, 

 lance-shaped, acute, crenated, 3- 

 nerved, sheathing at the base, pale 

 green, with cartilaginous margins, 

 smooth ; uppermost stem-leaves quite 

 entire, hairy. There is a handsome 

 variegated variety. Tauria, Cappa- 



docia, and Armenia. Borders, in 



any soil. Division. 



Veronica incarnata (Flesh-coloured 

 Speedwell). An elegant kind, 15 to 

 22 in. high. Flowers, in summer ; flesh- 

 coloured, in a dense terminal spike, 

 surrounded by several smaller axillary 

 Bpikes. Leaves, opposite, oval-lance- 

 shaped, acute, coarsely and irregularly 

 serrated, rough on both sides with 

 veiy short fine hairs. Stem also hairy. 



This plant is a variety of F. panicu- 



lata. Borders, or naturalization, in 



ordinary soil. Division. 



Veronica incisa (Cut-leaved Veronica). 

 A graceful kind, 1 to 2 ft. high. 

 Flowers, in summer ; lilac, small, very 

 numerous, in dense panicled spikes. 

 Leaves, nearly 2 in. long, varying very 

 much in width, and very deeply and 

 irregularly cut and toothed, stalked, 

 opposite, with smaller leaves in the 

 axils. Stem erect, slender, round. 



Siberia. Borders, or naturalization, 



in sandy loam. Division. 



Veronica laciniata (Fern-leaved 

 Speedwell). An elegant species, singu- 

 lar in foliage and with pretty blooms ; 

 20 to 30 in. high. Flowers, in the end 

 of June or beginning of July ; delicate 

 lilac, in dense spikes forming a hand- 

 some panicle of 12 or 15 spikes, each 

 from 2 to 4 in. long, springing from 

 beneath the base of a strong central 

 spike more than twice as long. Leaves, 

 I ^ to 3 in. long, deeply and irregu- 

 larly cut into lobes, sometimes deeply 

 toothed, sometimes entire, deeply and 



narrowly channelled. Siberia. 



Borders, beds of summer-flowering 

 perennials, or naturalized in unculti- 

 vated places, in ordinary soil. Divi- 

 sion. 



Veronica maritima (Maritime V.) 

 A species of which there are several 

 varieties in cultivation, 20 in. to 2 ft. 

 high. Flowers, in summer ; blue, on 

 short stalks^ grouped in terminal, 

 solitary, or panicled clusters, the 

 central one from 6 to 10 in. long. 

 Leaves, opposite, oval-lanceolate, finely 

 toothed. Southern Europe. Bor- 

 ders, in any soil. Division. 



Veronica multifida (Narrow-leaved V. ) 

 A pretty species with branching 

 stems, about 1 ft. high. Flowers, in 

 summer ; ^ in. across, lavender-blue, 

 marked with lines of a darker colour, 

 in long spikes. Leaves, nearly sessile, 



