854 SCROPHUIARIA. [CLASS xiv. order ir. 



GENUS XXIX. SCROPHULA'RIA Linn. Figwort. 



Nat. Ord. Scrophularia'ce^. Lind. 



Gen, Char. CaZya; five lobed, or deeply cleft. Coro//a sub-globose, 

 the limb small, five lobed, the lower lobe reflexed, and frequently 

 beneath the upper is a small scale (abortive stamen). Capsule 

 two celled, two valved, with the margins turned inwards. — Named, 

 from Scrophula, a disease, which some plants of this genus were 

 supposed to cure. 



* Calyx with Jive rounded lobes ; flowers purple. 



1. S. nodo'sa, Linn. (Fig. 987.) Knotted Figivort. Leaves cordato- 

 triangular, acute, doubly serrated, smooth, three ribbed at the base; 

 stem acutely quadrangular ; calyx with ovate obtuse segments, having 

 a very narrow membranous margin ; scale within the upper lip trans- 

 versely oblong, obsoletely emarginate ; root tuberous. 



English Botany, t. 1544. — English Flora, vol. iii. p. 138. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, ed. 4. vol. i. p. 239. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 192. 



Root fleshy, tuberous, with a few long branched fibres. Stem erect, 

 from two to four feet high, rather obtusely angular, scarcely branched, 

 smooth. Inflorescence a terminal erect branched panicle. Leaves 

 numerous, petiolated, triangular, heart-shaped, with long tapering 

 points, or ovate, heart-shaped, acutely pointed, three ribbed at the base, 

 somewhat running down the footstalk, strongly serrated with acute 

 doubly serrated margins, quite smooth, dark green above, paler be- 

 neath. Panicle with its rather long branches and pedicles more or 

 less thickly scattered over with short glandular hairs. Bracteas small, 

 awl-shaped. Calyx with five ovate obtuse segments, having a narrow 

 pale thin membranous margin. Corolla with a green almost globose 

 tube, the limb dull purple, two lipped, the upper lip in two straight 

 lobes, roundish, having within at the throat a transversely oblong 

 scale, somewhat notched, the lower lip of three short rounded lobes, 

 reflexed. Stamens short, included within the corolla. Anthers large. 

 Style short. Stigma obtuse. Capsule ovate, acute, smooth. Seeds 

 numerous, small, rough, dark brown, attached to a central receptacle. 



Habitat. — Woods, moist banks, and hedges ; frequent. 



Perennial ; flowering in July. 



This is a variable plant as to its size and the form of its leaves. The 

 upper leaves are usually triangular, heart-shaped, with the base 

 acutely angular, and the point gradually tapering, sometimes all the 

 leaves are of this form, but mostly the lower leaves are ovate, heart- 

 shaped, with the base rounded ; all have the footstalk divided into 

 three branched ribs at the base of the leaf, and forming the lower 

 margin. The whole plant has a disagreeable odour when bruised; the 

 leaves, as well as the fleshy roots, have been used and obtained great 



