SCROPHULARIACEiE 



313 



they become vertical, so as to be more closely in the 



centre of the flower. According to Kerner the life of 



the flower lasts six days. Ludwig found on some of 



the plants examined by 



him small female flowers 



with rudimentary stamens. 



The capsule is upright. 



The reddish brown seeds 



are thrown out by the 



wind ; they are small, 



numerous, oblong, and 



variously compressed. The 



plant is covered with 



fine spreading hairs. The 



fruit normally splits along Fig. 199. rig. 200. Fig. 201, 



the septa. The lignified ¥10.199. — BiqUalts purpurea. Section of 

 layer of the inner epi- floj:erjhowiBg the authors unripe and 



dermis is composed of Fig. 200.— The same, more advanced. The 



lTni'^7nntal fiVirPC! nnrl tliP "PP" anthers vertical, the lower as 



liUiiZUnUal llUlcto, clllU. Lllo before 



sub - epidermal layer of PiG- 201.— The same, stai more advanced. 

 T . . TT 1-1 All the anthers ripe and vertical. 



isodiametric cells, which 



contract more than those of the epidermis, and thus 



open the fruit. 



Veroxica 



Flowers generally blue or white, with nectar, specially 

 adapted to flies, which gather up, as it were, the two 

 stamens under the body to act as a support while 

 they sip the honey. Other stamens would, under the 

 circumstances, only be in the way. The calyx is 5 or 

 4 cleft, the lobe representing the posterior lobe being 

 suppressed. The corolla is deeply 4-cleft, two of the 

 lobes being united. There are sixteen British species. 

 The fruit is a capsule. The seeds fall into two series. 

 In some species they are smooth, flattened, and winged. 

 This is the case, as a rule, in species living in or close 

 to water. To this series belong V. Beccabunga, V. 

 Anagallis, V. scutellata, and among land species V. 

 serpyllifolia, V. Chamcedrys, V. montana, V. officinalis, 



