442 FLOWERS OF GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE 



spreading lobes, the side lobes usually narrower than the upper and 

 lower ones. Stamens two, attached to the sides of the upper lobe. The 

 species are distributed throughout the North Temperate Regions, 

 Australia, New Zealand, and Chili ; sixteen are natives of Britain, but 

 only one or two of these are occasionally cultivated. 



The Speedwell or Bird's-eye (F. Ghamcvdrys) on road- 

 History. ^.^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ thick-stemmed Brooklime (V. Becca- 

 hai}(j(i) of streams and rivulets, have always given delight to country 

 raiublers ; but in our gardens there have been exotic forms of Veronica 

 for considerably more than three hundred years. V. maritima was 

 introduced from Sicily about 1570, and V. Teucrium from Germany in 

 1596. Then no further introductions appear to have taken place until 

 1680, when V. ijevegrma came fi'om Northern Europe. V. virginica, 

 the Great Virginian Speedwell, came from North America in 1714, the 

 Russian F. incana in 1759, and the first of the New Zealand shrubby 

 species, which are the chief ones now grown, was brought hither in 1776. 

 Since then many shrubby Veronicds have come to us from the same 

 quarter of the globe. We must not mention them all, but the following, 

 now in cultivation, may be named: — V. parvijiora (1822), V. speciosa 

 (1835), V. Imlkeana (1865), V. pingitifolia (1870), V. Traversii (1873), 

 and F. Lyallii (1879). V. Andersonii, V. lindleyana, V. kennesina, and 

 F. versicolor are hybrids that have been produced by cross-fertilisation 

 between F. speciosa, V. macrocmpa, and F salicifolia. These shrubby 

 kinds from New Zealand may be gi'own permanently out of doors in 

 the warmer parts of this country. They are growing in popularity, over 

 tifty of them being cultivated in gardens where they are in favour. A 

 selection of them can only be mentioned here. 



Veronica Andersonii (Anderson's). Stem li foot 

 high. Leaves thick, oblong, downy on the margins. 

 Flowers bluish violet; July. Half-hardy hybrid shrub. The var. 

 vaviegata only differs by reason of the variegated foliage. 



\. ELLIPTICA (elliptic), stem woody, 5 to 20 feet high. Leaves 

 slender oblong, close set, and spreading. Flowers large, white, |-inch 

 across, in few-flowered racemes, which are gathered into a terminal 

 bunch : July. Half-hardy shrub. New Zealand. 



V. iiCLKEAXA (Hulke's). Stem scarcely branched, herbaceous, 1 to 

 3 feet high. Leaves leathery, oblong-oval, coarsely toothed. Flowers 

 lilac, |-inch across; the racemes forming long panicles; June to Sep- 

 tember. Half-hardy slirub. New Zealand. 



V. INCANA (hoary). Stem herbaceous, downy, 2 feet high. Leaves 

 oblong or lance-shaped, toothed, covered with hoary down on both sides. 



