Veronica officinalis. Male Speedwell. 



VERONICA Lin, Gen. PL Diandria Monogynia 



Cor. Limbo 4. partito, lacinia infima anguftlore. Capfula bilocularis. 



Kan Syn.Gen. 18. Herb;e fructu sicco singulari flore monopetalo. 

 VERONICA #c/»tf//jfpicislateralibus pedunculatis, foliis oppofitis, caule procumbente Lin. Svfl Vegetab 



p. 56 Sp. PL 14. FL Suec. n. 12. «* •■ & 



VERONICA caule decumbente, foliis fcabris, petiolatis, ovatis, exalis racemofa. Haller Hi ft. n. <ao 

 VERONICA officinalis. Scopo/l. FL Cam. n. 2 r. ; "* ' 



VERONICA mas fupina et vulgatiffima Bauh. pin. 246. 

 VERONICA vera et major. Ger. emac. 626. 

 VERONICA mas vulgaris fupina. Parkins. 550. Rail. Syn. p. 281. The male Speedwell or Fluellin. 



Hudfon. FL Angl. ed. 2. p. 4. 



Light foot FL Scot. p. 27. 



Oeder FL Dan. t. 248. 



RADIX perennis, fibrofa. ^ ^ | ROOT perennial and fibrous. 



CAULES palmares feu fpithamaei, teretes, hirfuti, rigi- | STALKS from three to feven inches in length, round, 



duli, repentes. % hirfute, fHffifh, and creeping, 



FOLIA oppofita, petiolata, prefer tim inferiora, hir- | LEAVES oppofite, ftandmg on footftalks, efpecially the 



futula, ferrata, polhcaria, inferiora bafianguf- | lower ones, fomewhat hairy, ferrated, about 



tata, fuperiora ovali-oblonga, obtufa, paulo % an inch in length, the lower ones narrowed 



majora, fubfefnlia. | at the bafe, the upper ones of an oblong or 



t oval fhape, obtufe, fomewhat larger than the 



I lower ones and nearly feffile. 



RACEMI folitarii, five gemini, in fummitate laterales, | FLOWER-BRANCHES fingle, or growing in pairs, 



axillares ex foliis, pedunculati, erecti, nudi, £ from the fide near the top of the ftalk, out of 



pubefcentes, floribus fparfis, brevius pedicel- | the alas of the leaves, {landing on a foot-ftalk, 



latis. I upright, naked, downy, the flowers placed on 



£ fhort foot-ftalks without any regular order. 



BRACTEiE ad flores, folitariae, ljneares^ obtufa?, pu- | FLORAL-LEAF, one placed fingly under each flower, 



befcentes, longitudine vix calycis, ereetae. £ linear, obtufe, downy, fcarce the length of 



i the calyx, and upright. 



CALYX: Periantrtum monophyllum, quadripar- | CALYX: a Peri an thum of one leaf, deeply divi- 



titum, hirfutum, pilis apice glanduligeris, £ ded into four fegments, befet with rough hairs 



laciniis ovato lanceolatis fubaequalibus. j%. 1. | which are glandular at the top, the fegments 



£ oval pointed, and nearly equal. Jig. 1 



COROLLA monopetala, rotata ; Tubus brevis, albidus, I COROLLA monopetalous and wheel-fhaped ; the 



Limbus quadripartitus, dilute violaceus, venis | Ttube fhort and whitifh ; the Limb divided 



faturatioribus pietus, laciniis ovatis, obtufis, % into four fegments, of a faint violet colour, 



inasqualibus ; tribus majoribus fubcequalibus, | painted with, more deeply coloured veins, the 



unica duplo angufliore. Jig. 2. ^ fegments ovate, obtufe and unequal ; the 



$ three largeft. nearly equal ; the fingle one twice 



I as narrow as the others. Jig, 2. 



STAMINA : Filament A duo, albida, tuboinferta, $ STAMINA: two Filaments, of a whitifh colour, 



corolla longiora; Anthers cordatae, coeru- | iiiferted into the tube, and longer than the 



lefcentes; Pollen album, j^ - . 3. f corolla ; Anthers heart fhaped, of a blue- 



t ifh colour; Pollen white. Jig, 3. 



PISTILLUM: Germen fubovatum, obtufum, com- | PISTILLUM : GeImen fomewhat ovate, obtufe, 



preffum, vifcofum, utrinque fulcatum, bafi | fiatten'd, clammy, groovedon each fide, fur- 



glandula cinclum; Stylus filiformis, verfus J rounded at its bafe by a gland; Style 



apicem paululum incraflatus, violaceus ; I thread-fhaped, a little thickened towards the 



Stigma truncatum. fig. 4. % top, of a violet colour; Stigma as if cut 



$ off. fig. 4, 



PERICARPIUM : Capfula cordata, comprefla, calyce | SEED-VESSEL : a heart fhaped flattened Capfule y a 



paulo longior. fig. $' ¥ little longer than the calyx, fig. 5. 



SEMINA plurima, parva, comprefla, pallide fufca. | SEEDS numerous, fmall, flattened, of a pale brown 



fig. 6. % colour, fig. 6. 



ON dry mountainous fituations, as on Hampftead Heath, and about Charlton Wood, we find this Species of 

 Veronica in great abundance, producing flowers from June to Auguft or later. 



Its principal diftinguifhing character is its creeping ftalk, which in fome fituations is more ftrictly fo than in 

 others, I have obferved it on fome dry heaths, creeping clofe to the earth, and in other places fcarcely procumbent, 

 but it always has this character in a greater or lefs degree. ^ 



In the colour of its blofloms it varies much, they being in fome fituations almoft blue, in others reddifh, and in 

 others white ; and it is faid to Ifeve been found with double flowers. 



When it meets with a luxuriant foil, its ftalks will extend a foot or two, and its leaves equal thofe of the 

 Veronica Chamaedrys in fize. 



Many writers on the Materia Medica, have been lavifh of their encomiums on its virtues. Rutty thus fpeaks 

 of it. 



" It has a faint fmell which is not difagreeable, to the tafte it is bitterifh and fomewhat aftringent ; the ex- 

 « tract of it was alfo bitter and aftringent, but that prepar'd with fpirit of wine ftronger than that prepared with 

 « water, and both fomewhat acrid, the bitternefs refides moft in the refinous part. 



" An infufion of it on the addition of Vitriol of Iron became of a greenifh brown colour, and with Alston 

 " black ; blue paper it made red. 



" In its external ufe the cleanfing and aftringent powers which it poffefles, place it among the principal vulne- 

 *' raries, bad ulcers it cleanfes, and difpofes them to heal ; I have myfelf been witnefs of its efficacy in this refpect, 

 " applied to an inveterate cancerous ulcer in the form of a cataplafm, from difcharging a thin ichor, it produced a 

 ** laudable pus. 



" It has been found ferviceable alfo in the Itch, and other cutaneous difeafes, made into a gargle with the ad- 

 " dition of Honey ofRofes, it cures the Thrufh, and other ulcers of the mouth and throat. 



" Taken inwardly it relieves the afthmatic, attenuating and promoting the expectoration of vifcid phlegm, and 

 " drank as Tea; it alfo proves ferviceable in wounds or ulcers of the Lungs, &c. &c. 



Thefegood effects related with fo much confidence by the Dr. we have tranflated, and prefent to our readers, 

 ihould they not be exaggerated the Veronica officinalis has very unmeritedly fali'n into difufe. 



