SCllOniULAHIACE^;. 1()3 



Flowers in dense axillary many-flowered spikelike racemes, elon- 

 gated in fruit. Peduncles alternate, or more rarely opposite, 

 longer than the leaves ; pedicels shorter than their bracts, erect, a 

 little shorter than the calyx. Sepals 4, oblong-elliptical, obtuse, 

 usually ciliated with gland-tipped hairs. Capsule half as long again 

 as the calyx, inversely deltoid, obcordate or emarginate, compressed, 

 without elevated veins, pubescent, ciliated with gland-tipped hairs; 

 lobes divaricate, separated by an obtuse-angled notch. Style 

 rather longer than the capsule. Seeds nearly flat on the inner 

 face. Plant usually pubescent, with jointed hairs intermixed on the 

 peduncles, pedicels, bracts, sepals, and capsule, with gland-tipped 

 hairs, or rarely nearly glabrous. 



Var. «, gen ulna. 



Plate DCCCCLXXXIV. 

 V. officinalis, Sm. Eng. Eot. No. 765. 



Capsule obcordate, or rather deeply notched. 



(?) Var. 3, hirsuta. 

 Plate DCCCCLXXXV. 

 V. hirsuta, llopkirk. Hook, in E. B. S. No. 2673. Sm. Eng. Fl. Vol. I. p. 22. 



Capsule entire at the apex. Leaves much smaller and 

 narrower. 



On dry banks, mountain pastures, and woods. Very common, 

 and generally distributed. Var. found in Carrick, Ayrshire, by 

 Mr. James Smith, of Monkwood Nursery, Ayr. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer 

 and Autumn. 



A very variable plant, with the stem 3 to 18 inches long. 

 Leaves J to 2 inches, varying much in breadth, with more or less 

 distinct petioles. Racemes in fruit 1^ to 8 inches long, generally 

 alternate, except in luxuriant specimens, when they are opposite ; 

 sometimes when near the apex of the stem they appear terminal, 

 but are not really so. Flowers ^ inch across, pale-lilac with purple 

 lines. Capsule ^ inch long, varying in the depth of the notch. 

 Plant dull-green, varying in the degree of hairiness, sometimes 

 glabrous, except the pedicels, when it is V. Allioni of Hooker's 

 "Flora Scottica," but not of Villars. 



Vax. 0, of which I have seen no wild specimens, is a very 

 remarkable form, which preserves its characteristics under culti- 

 vation ; but I hesitate to consider it as a sub-species, because the 



