V 



eronica agrestis. procumbent 

 Garde n-S peedwell. 



VERONICA Lmnrn. Gen. PL Diandria Monogynia. 



Rail. Syn. Gen. 18. Herb,e fructu sicco singulari flore monopetalo. 



"VERONICA agrejlis, floribus folitariis, pedunculitis ; foliis cordatis incifis, petiolatis ; caule" procumbente. 



VERONICA agrejlis, floribus folitariis, foliis cordatis incifis pedunculo brevioribus. Linnai Svji. Vegetal, p. c6. 



VERONICA floribus folitariis, foliis cordatis incifis petiolatis. Hudfon FL Angl. p. 6. 



VERONICA caule procumbente; foliis petiolatis, ovatis,. crenatis, Haller, Hjft. V. i. n. 594. 



VERONICA agrejlis. Scopoli. FL Cam. p. 21 Diagn. Primiflora ; foliis ovato-cordatis, crenatis, pedun- 

 culo brevioribus. 



VERONICA floribus fingularibus, in oblongis pediculis, Chamaedryfolia. Rati. Syn, p. 279. Germander- 

 Speedwell or Chickweed. 

 ALSINE foliis Triffaginis: Gerard, emac. 616. Parkin/on. 764. 

 ALSINE Chamaediyfolia flofculis pediculis oblongis infidentibus. Bauhin. Pin. 250. Oeder. PL- Dan, Icon. 440,. 



RADIX annua, fibrofa. % ROOT annual and fibrous. 



CAULES plures, primum eretti, tandem procumbentes, | STALKS feveral, firft upright, then procumbent, about 



femipedales, fubvilloii, teretes. _ _ £ fix inches in length" round and fomewhat villous. 



FOLIA alterna, ovato-cordata, ferrata, petiolis brevibus | LEAVES alternate, of an oval-heart fhape, ferrated, 



infidentia, fubhirfuta. £ placed on fhort foot-ftalks and (lightly hairy. 



FLORES pedunculati, pedunculi axillares, longitudine i FLOWERS placed on foot-ftalks, which "proceed from 

 fere foiiorum, poft florescentiam reflexi. | the Axillse of the leaves and are nearly of the 



% fame length; after the flowers are gone off 



I turning back. 



CALYX: Peri anthtum quadripartitum, laciniis lance- $ CALYX: a Perianthium divided into four lacimae', 

 olatis, hirfutis, fubtortuofis, jig. 1. | which are lanceolate, hairy, and fomewhat 



* twifted, fig. 1. 



COROLLA monopetala, fubrotata, calyce brevior, Is- % COROLLA monopetalous, fomewhat wheel-fhaped and 



vitfimo fere taclu decidua ; tubus breviffimus ; | fhorter than the Calyx, falling off on the leaft 



lacini^ concavee, fubrotundae, nunc penitus | touch; the tube very fhort; the lacinije 



coeruleae, nunc venis cceruleis ftriatae, jig. 2. % concave, and roundifh, fometimes wholly blue, 



fometimes ftriped with blue, jig. 2. 

 STAMINA: Filamenta duo, alba, medio cramora ; | STAMINA: two Filaments of a white colour and 

 . Antherje ccerulefcentes, j%. 3. I thickeft in the middle; Anthers blueiih, 



T for, 2'. 



PISTILLUM: Germen mbcompreffum, hirfutulum,bafi f PISTILLUM^ Germen flattifh, a little hairy and fur- 



neclario cinctum ; Stylus viridis, apice incraffa- | rounded at bottom by a Neftarium ; the Style 



tus, ftaminibus brevior ; Stigma album, capi- | green, thickeft at top, and fhorter than the 



tatum, jig. 4. I Stamina ; Stigma roundifh and white, -fig. 4. 



PERICARPIUM Capsule Veronica ferfyllifolia fimi- | SEED-VESSEL a Capsule like that of the Veronica 



lis, at major rotundiorque, jig. 5. ^ ferpyllifolia, but larger and rounder, jig. 5. 



SEMINA pallide fufca, plerumque 6 in fingulo locula- | SEEDS of a pale brown colour, generally 6 in each cavity, 



mento, rngofa, hinc convexa, inde concava, jig. 6. * wrinkled, convex on one fide and hollow on the 



I other, fig. 6. 



THERE are few Botanifts but what are apt to confound this fpecies of Veronica with the Veronica arvenfis, 

 ' and this appears to arife in ibme degree from their fimilarity to each other, but more perhaps from tWb fimi- 

 litude of their Latin, and the ambiguity of their Englifh names. To prevent in fome degree this confufion, 

 I have taken the liberty of altering the Englifh name of Germander-Speedwell or Chickweed to that of 

 procumbent garden Speedwell, in order that the young Botanift may thereby more readily diftinguifh it from the 

 fpecies above mentioned. The ftalks of the Agrejlh are ufually procumbent, and it is found generally in Gar- 

 dens ; whereas the Arvenfis has an upright ftalk, and with us is found moft commonly on Walls. Belides iuch obvi- 

 oufly diftinguifhing characters, thele two plants differ confiderably in many other refpects. In the Arvenfis the 

 leaves are fefTile, in this . they are placed on footftalks ; in the Arvenfis the flowers are feffile, in this fpecies 

 they likewife, are placed on footftalks: and a difference ftill more remarkable, or at leaft more curious, exiils, 

 which feems not to have been attended to, viz. the largenefs and roundnefs of the feed-veflels, and the particu- 

 lar ftruclure of the feed. In moil of the Veronicas the feed-veflel is heart-fhaped, and even in this fpecies it re- 

 tains fomewhat of that form, although each of the Cavities is large and' round; and if we examine the form 

 of the feeds, we mail not wonder at this particular conftruclion, for each feed inftead of being final! and flat 

 as in other Veronicas, is large, convex on one fide, hollow on the other, and wholly different in its appearance. 

 This peculiarity of ftructuire, mows what inconftancy there is in the parts of fructification, and how improper 

 , it would be to found a Genus on the particular form of any one of them, fince thole which are in general 

 the moft uniform, are fometimes fubjecl to fuch uncommon variations. The number of feeds in each Capfule 

 is generally about 12, Linn/eus fays 8, Scopoli from 16 to 20. 



This fpecies grows frequently in Garden's, and flowers through moft of the fummer months. No particular 

 virtues or ufes are attributed to it. 





