170 



THE SPEEDWELLS. 



XLVI. THE SPEEDWELLS. 



Description. Along the borders of the woods, in the 

 hilly pastures, the open fields, and even in the waste corners 

 of the garden, we often meet the smaller Speedwells. Their 

 tiny flowers greet us with a 

 clear, honest welcome in the 

 dewy mornings of May and 

 June.* We shall know them 

 by their 4-parted corolla, 2 

 stamens, double ovary, and by 

 the following more definite 



GENERIC CHARACTERS. 

 The Speedwells are small or 

 large herbs, with opposite or 

 whorled leaves, and small blue, 

 white, or reddish flowers in 

 the axils of the leaves, or in 

 terminal racemes. A 4-parted, 

 green calyx supports a gamo- 

 petalous, colored corolla which 

 is 4-parted, slightly irregular, 

 with the upper lobe somewhat 

 enlarged. There are but two 

 stamens, placed one on each 

 side of the upper lobe and 

 exserted (projecting). The 

 pistil is evidently double, for though only 1 style and 1 

 stigma appear, yet the ovary is 2-lobed and 2-celled, and the 

 fruit a 2-celled, oo-seeded, flattened capsule. 



* Among the Germans, the Speedwell is known as the Flower of Truth, and the 

 plant is taken as the emblem of friendship. The popular name, " Speedwell," is a 

 parting salutation, equivalent to " Farewell ! " u Good-bye ! " It comes (says Prior) 

 from the evanescent corollas, which fall off and fly away as soon as the plant is gathered. 



FIG. XLVI. Ver6nica serpyllifolia: 

 2, a flower ; 3, a capsule with the per- 

 sistent calyx ; 4, section of the 2-celled 

 capsule. 



