1G6 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
" Bees are industrious, and go abroad to gather honey from each plant and flower, 
but drones lie at home and eat up what the bees have taken pains for ; just so do the 
College of Physitians lie at home, and domineer and suck out the sweetness of other 
men's labours and studies, themselves being as ignorant in the knowlege of herbs as a 
child of four years old, as I can make appear to any rational man by their last Dispen- 
satory. Now, then, to hide their ignorance there is no easier way in the world than to 
hide knowlege from their countrymen that so no body might be able so much as to 
smell out their ignorance. When simples were more in use, men's bodies were better 
in health by far than now they are, or shall be, if the College can help it. The truth 
is, this herb is of a fine cooling, drying quality, and an ointment or plaster of it might 
do a man a courtesie that hath not any hot virulent sores." 
SPECIES XV.— V ERONICA MONTANA Linn. 
Plate DCCCCLXXXVII. 
Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XX. Tab. MDCCV. Figs. 3, 4. 
Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 1730. 
Stems somewhat wiry, decumbent, rooting only close to the 
base, branched only at the base ; branches decumbent, ascending 
only at the apex. Leaves shortly stalked, broadly ovate, abrupt 
or subcordate at the base, sub-obtuse, acute, deeply serrate, or 
crenate-serrate ; petiole shorter than the lamina. Elowers in 
very lax axillary racemes, elongating in fruit. Peduncles mostly 
alternate, much longer than the leaves ; pedicels longer than their 
bracts and calyx (generally twice or thrice as long). Sepals 4, 
rhomboidal - oblanceolate, subacute, ciliated with jointed hairs 
usually not tipped with glands. Capsule twice as long as the 
calyx, sub-orbicular, broader than long, very much compressed, 
cordate at the base, and obcordate at the apex, glabrous, with 
elevated veins, surrounded by a prominent border with elevated 
points from which spring jointed hairs which are sometimes 
tipped with minute glands ; lobes approximate, separated by an 
obtuse-angled sinus both at the base and the apex. Style rather 
longer than the capsule. Stem hairy all round ; leaves with short 
jointed hairs ; peduncles, pedicels, bracts, sepals, and margins of 
the capsule with long jointed hairs frequently tipped witli minute 
glands. 
In w^ods and moist shady hedge-bnnlcs. Not uncommon in 
England; rare in Scotland, but extending as far north as Moray, 
Uanir, and Dumbarton ; rather rare in Ireland. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Spring and 
Early Summer. 
V. montana bears a considerable resemblance to the much more 
