TEEBENACEiE. 



429 



flowers. The short stocls emits creeping scions and a tuft of radical leaves, 

 wliich are obovate, 1 to 2 inches long, entire or broadly crenate, and nar- 

 rowed 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 tlie leaves ; the 

 upper ones forming a cylindrical leafy spike. CoroUa blue, Or rarely fiesh- 

 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. Erect Bugle. Ajuga genevensis, Linn. 



{A. pyramidaUs, Eng. Bot. t. 1270.) 



Much like the creeping £., 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, whh the leaves oittn 

 coarsely toothed. Calyx very hairy. Floral leaves in the pyramidal va- 

 riety, the only one found in Britain, broadly ovate, longer than the flowers, 

 and crowded with them in a pyi-amidal or quadrangular leafy spike. 



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

 Asia, to the Himalayas and Cliina, although not an Arctic plant. The py- 

 ramidal variety, common in northern Europe and the great mountain-ranges 

 of central Eui-ope, is tlie only British form, and occurs but rarely in the 

 Scotch Highlands. FL early summer. This variety is usually distinguished 

 as a species, but its peculiarities appear to be owing to station, and it is 

 never more marked than in recently burnt pastures. 



3. Yellow Bugle. Ajuga Chamsepitys, Schreb. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 77.) 



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, etc., 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. THE VERVEIN FAMILY. VEEBENACE^. 



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

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

 with the style proceeding from the top. Eruit dry or succti- 

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

 with 1 seed in each cell. 



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

 Africa. Besides the numerous cidtivated species of Vervein, several exotic 

 genera, such as Lantana, Vitex, etc., are familiar to our gardeners. 



