42 



SCROPHULARIACEiE. 



Veronica. 



4. Veronica Anagallis, Linn. Water Speedwell. 

 Stem erect ; leaves lanceolate, clasping, serrate ; the upper closely sessile and clasping , 



lowest on short petioles ; racemes opposite. — Linn. sp. 1. p. 12 ; Michx. fl. 1. p: 5 ; Engl, 

 hot. t. 721 ; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 11 ; sk.l.p.9; Torr. fl. 1. p. 9 ; £^eZ. yZ. Sosf. p. 5 ; 

 i?ec/c, &o£. p. 261 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 4. 



Perennial. Stem somewhat succulent, a foot or more high. Leaves 1 - 2| inches long, 

 tapering gradually from a broad base to a sharp point, very smooth. Racemes mostly opposite, 

 elongated, many-flowered. Pedicels as long as the flower, never reflexed. Segments of the 

 calyx acute. Corolla pale blue, with purple veins. Capsule deeply emarginate, tumid. Seeds 

 rather numerous, ovoid, compressed. 



Muddy borders of streams and ponds ; common. June - August. This species is a native 

 also of Europe. It is best distinguished from the preceding by its narrower, more acute, 

 sessile and clasping leaves. 



5. Veronica scutellata, Linn. Marsh or Scullcap Speedwell. 

 Stem nearly erect, slender ; leaves linear or lanceolate-linear, sessile, denticulate ; racemes 



lateral, alternate ; pedicels divaricate. — Linn. sp. 1. p. 12 ; Michx. fl. 1. p. 5 ; Engl. hot. 

 t. 726 ; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 11 ; Bigel. fl. Bosl. p. 5 ; Torr. fl. 1. p. 9 ; Beck, hot. p. 261 ; 

 Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 5. 



Root perennial, creeping. Stem weak, often branched and diffuse, about a foot long, 

 smooth. Leaves opposite, 1-3 inches long and usually 2-3 lines wide, but sometimes 

 almost lanceolate, remote and minutely denticulate, rarely almost entire, somewhat fleshy. 

 Racemes filiform, many-flowered, spreading or pendulous ; the slender pedicels divaricate 

 after flowering. Calyx-segments lanceolate. Corolla pale blue or flesh-colored. Capsule 

 reniform-obcordate, much compressed. Seeds about seven in each cell. 



Wet places ; frequent. May - June. A common European species, and doubtless in- 

 digenous here. ' 



6. Veronica peregrina, Linn. Neck-iveed. 

 Smooth ; stem erect ; leaves oblong, rather obtuse, dentate-serrate ; flowers solitary, 



axillary, sessile. — Linn. sp. 1. p. 14 ; Fl. Dan. t. 407 ; Michx. fl. 1. p. 4; Pursh, fl. 1. 

 p. 11 ; Ell. sk. 1. p. 10 ; Torr. fl. 1. p. 10 ; Beck, hot. p. 262 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 5 ; 

 Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 101. V. Marilandica, Murr. comm. Gcett. 1782. t. 3 (excl. syn.). 

 V. Caroliniana, Walt. fl. Car. p. 61. V. carnulosa, Lam. enc. 1. p. 47. V. Romana, Linn, 

 f. supp. V. Xalapensis, Chilensis and Peruviana, H. B. K. fide Cham, cj- Schlecht. 



Annual. Stems simple or branching from the base, 4-8 inches high. Leaves rather 

 fleshy ; radical ones narrowed at the base into a short petiole ; upper ones sessile and much 

 narrower. Segments of the calyx linear-lanceolate. Corolla very small, white. Capsule 

 obcordate. Seeds 20 or more in each cell. 



Moist grounds and cultivated fields ; very common. Introduced from Europe. May - 

 June. Formerly considered a valuable remedy for scrophulous affections, but probably of 

 little value. (See Bart. med. <§• phys. jour. 3. p. 24.) 



