862 THE LABIATE FAMILY. [Ajuga. 



into a stalk nearly as long as the leaf. Flowering "stems erect, often 

 only 2 or 3 inches, rarely near a foot high, with short, ovate or obovate, 

 nearly sessile leaves ; the upper ones often coloured, small, and bract- 

 like. Flowers in close whorls in the axils of nearly all the leaves ; the 

 upper ones forming a cylindrical leafy spike. Corolla blue, or rarely 

 flesh-colour or white, with the tube much longer than the calyx. 



In pastures and woods, throughout Europe and western Asia, except 

 the extreme north. Abundant in Britain. Fl. spring and early summer. 



2. A. genevensis, Linn. (fig. 820). Erect B. Much like A. reptans, 

 but has no creeping scions, and is much more hairy ; the stock has a 

 tuft of rather large, spreading radical leaves, and one or more erect or 

 ascending flowering stems, with the leaves often coarsely toothed. 

 Calyx very hairy. Floral leaves in the pyramidal variety, the only one 

 found in Britain, broadly ovate, longer than the flowers, and crowded 

 with them in a pyramidal or quadrangular leafy spike. 



The species has a very wide range over Europe, and central and 

 Russian Asia, to the Himalayas and China, although not an arctic plant. 

 Fl. early summer. The pyramidal variety, common in northern Europe 

 and the great mountain-ranges of central Europe, is the only British 

 form ; it occurs but rarely in the Scotch Highlands, and in the great 

 island of Aran, off the coast of Ireland. This variety is usually dis- 

 tinguished as a species (A. pyramidalis, Linn.), but its peculiarities 

 appear to be owing to station, and it is never more marked than in 

 recently burnt pastures. 



3. A. Chamaepitys, Schreb. (fig. 821). Yellow B. t Ground Pine. 

 A low, much-branched, hairy annual. Leaves much crowded, and deeply 

 divided into 3 linear lobes ; the lateral ones sometimes again divided. 

 Flowers yellow, in axillary pairs, always shorter than the leaves. 



In dry, cultivated, and waste stony places, roadsides, &c., chiefly in 

 limestone soils, in central and southern Europe and western Asia, extend- 

 ing northwards over the greater part of Germany. In Britain, limited 

 to some of the south-eastern or eastern counties of England. Fl. the 

 whole season. 



LVIII. VERBENACEJE. THE VERVEIN FAMILY. 

 Herbs, shrubs, or trees, with opposite or rarely alternate 

 leaves. Flowers of Labiatce, except that the ovary is entire, 

 with the style proceeding from the top. Fruit dry or succulent, 

 usually shorter than the persistent calyx, 2- or 4-celled, with 1 

 seed in each cell. 



A large family, chiefly American or from the warmer regions of Asia 

 and Africa. Besides the numerous cultivated species of Verbena, 

 several exotic genera, such as Lantana, Vitex, &c., are familiar to our 

 gardeners. 



I. VERBENA. VERVEIN. 



Herbs or rarely shrubs, with opposite stem-leaves, and alternate 

 flowers in terminal spikes. Calyx 5-toothed. Corolla with a distinct 

 tube, and a rather unequally 5 -cleft, spreading limb. Stamens 4, or 



