FIGWORT FAMILY. 323 



* * Herbs, growing wild, or those of the first subdivision (<-) cultivated 

 in gardens. 



<- Spikes or dense spike-like racemes terminating the erect stem or branches 

 and often clustered. 1J. 



V. spicata, Linn. Erect from a spreading base, l-2 high, with 

 opposite or whorled leaves which are narrow-oblong or oblanceolate and 

 serrate, petiolate ; flowers bright blue, the tube shorter than the calyx ; 

 stamens long-exserted. Eu. 



V. paniculata, Linn. (V. AMETHYSTINA). Mostly taller ; leaves opposite 

 or in 3's, lanceolate and acute, crenate-serrate or jagged, narrow at base 

 and petiolate or sub-sessile ; flowers blue in long, loose spikes or racemes. 

 Eu. 



V. long/folia, Linn. The form in cult, as var. SUBSESSILIS, from 

 Japan, has ovate leaves sessile or nearly so, which are sharply toothed 

 and broad at the base ; flowers very many in long, erect or spreading 

 spikes, clear blue. 



V. Virglnica, Linn. CULVER'S ROOT. Wild in rich woods from Vt. , 

 W. and S. ; remarkable for the tube of the small whitish corolla longer 

 than the acutish lobes, and much longer than the calyx ; simple stems 

 2-6 high, bearing whorls of lanceolate or lance-ovate pointed finely 

 serrate leaves ; spikes dense and clustered. 



<- -t- Racemes in the axils of the opposite leaves ; stems creeping or pro- 

 cumbent at base, but above ascending ; corolla, as in all the following, 

 strictly icheel-shaped. 2/ 



WATER SPEEDWELLS or BROOKLIME, in water or wet ground, smooth 

 and with pale blue (sometimes darker striped) flowers on slender spread- 

 ing pedicels. 



= Pod turgid. 



V. Anagallis, Linn. In water N. ; leaves lance-ovate acute, sessile by 

 a heart-shaped base, 2'-3' long ; pod slightly notched, many-seeded. 



V. Americana, Schw. In brooks and ditches ; leaves mostly petioled, 

 ovate or oblong, serrate ; flowers on more slender pedicels, and pod more 

 turgid than in the foregoing. 



= = Pod strongly flattened. 



V. scutellata, Linn. In bogs N. ; slender, with linear slightly toothed 

 sessile leaves, only 1 or 2 very slender zigzag racemes, few long-pediceled 

 pale flowers ; and pod deeply notched at both ends, broader than long, 

 few-seeded. 



w - In dry ground, pubescent, with light blue flowers in spike-like 

 racemes. 



V. officinalis. Linn. COMMON SPEEDWELL. Spreading or creeping, 

 low ; leaves wedge-oblong or obovate, serrate, short-petioled ; pedicels 

 shorter than calyx; pod wedge-obcordate, several- seeded. N. Eng., W. 

 andS. 



i- H- -i- Saceme loose, terminating the leafy low stem or branches, or the 

 small flowers in the axils of the gradually decreasing leaves. 



w- 2Z Flowers in a terminal raceme. 



V. serpyllif61ia, Linn. Creeping or spreading on the ground ; with 

 simple flowering stems ascending 2'-4', smooth ; leaves roundish, small 

 almost entire ; corolla pale blue or whitish with darker stripes, longer than 

 the calyx. Fields and roadsides. 



