46o THE FIGWORT FAMILY. 



THE FIGWORT FAHILY. 



Scrap h ula ridcece. 



Trees, shrubs or herbs ivith either alternate, or opposite leaves, and 

 which bear in our species irregular flowers with gainopetalous corollas 

 having their limbs nearly regular or more frequently tnw-lipped. 



Weariless indeed in their desire to bloom and to spread themselves are 

 many showy weeds, members of this family, common everywhere, and which 

 have been introduced into this country mostly from Europe. Conspicuous 

 among such individuals and one which we should sadly miss from along our 

 roadside banks is : 



Verbascuni Thdpsus, the velvet plant, flannel leaf, great mullein or mullein 

 dock. A native of Europe and Asia, it has become generally distributed 

 through many countries, clothing itself with new forms of usefulness, taking 

 different places in legendary lore and changing its popular name to suit 

 almost every locality it enters. Among the earliest signs of spring are its 

 low-lying rosettes of great velvet leaves, from the centre of which shoot up 

 in the second year elongated spikes of bloom sparingly covered with yellow 

 flowers. 



V. Blattdria, moth mullein, now well naturalised from Europe, has a 

 more highly refined, delicate personality than many of the foreign weeds 

 which overrun our soil. It is a robust plant with ovate or cordate 

 clasping leaves and elfin flowers which occur in w^hite, pink and yellow, the 

 filaments of all being covered with a dense, purplish wool. They last but a 

 short time, while usually on the same stems are seen short, shiny, reddish 

 buds. Moths and butterflies visit the plant, but in a dried form it is of 

 renown as being obnoxious to cockroaches. 



Lindria Lindria, butter-and-eggs, yellow toad-flax or bride-weed, com- 

 bines in its bloom two shades of yellow and is one of the sprightliest, 

 gayest weeds along the waysides. From June until October its racemes are 

 densely flowered, and although it has been naturalised from Europe it seems 

 to be far better known than the greater number of our indigenous plants. 



Veronica arvensis, corn speedwell, and Veronica agrestis, garden 

 speedwell, both showing small blue flowers, are also through fields and 

 waste places little European and Asiatic weeds well content and at home in 

 this country. 



In cultivation as diverse types of the figwort family may also be 

 briefly mentioned : 



