Veronica officinalis. 
VERONICA 
VERONICA 
VERONICA 
VERONICA 
VERONICA 
VERONICA 
VERONICA 
Lin. Gen, PI. Diandria Monogynia 
Rmi Cabfula bilociilaris. 
Ka„ Sv„.Gm. ii. Herb* ikdctu sicco sinoulahi ei.ore.monopetai,o. 
»■ 540. 
mas fapiiia et vulgatiffima Biuh, pin. 246. 
vera et major. Ger. emac 626. 
Lighifoct PL Scot.p. 27. 
OeJer FI. Dan. t. 248. 
RADIX perennis, fibrofa. 
CAULES palmares ievi Ipitliamici, teretes, hlrfuti, rigi_ 
dull, repentes. 
FOLIA oppofita, petiolata, prefertim inferiora, hir- 
futula, ferrata, pollicaria, inferiora bafi anguf- 
tata, luperiora ovali-oblonga, obtufa, paulo 
majora, fubfeflilia. 
I ROOT^ perennial and fbrous. 
I STALKS from three to feven inches in length, round, 
IlirETt-e. OI/E/I. 1 ^ 
RACEMI folitarii, five gemini, in fummitate laterales, 
axillares ex foliis, pedunculati, eredti, nudi, 
pubefcentes, floribus fparfis, brevius pedicel- 
latis. 
BRACTE.,-® ad flores, folitaria3, lineares, obtufae, pu- 
befcentes, longitudine vix calycis, erefta. 
CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, quadripar- 
titum, hirfutum, pilis apice glanduligeris, 
laciniis ovato lanceolatis fubxqualibus.y^-. i. 
COROLLA monopetala, rotata; brevis, albidus, 
Dimhus quadripartitus, dilute violaceus, venis 
faturatioribus pldlus, laciniis ovatis, obtufis, 
inaequalibus; tribus majoribus fubasqualibus, 
unica duplo anguftiore. fig. 2. 
I hirfute, fliffifh, and creeping, 
I LEAVES oppofite, flajiding on footftalks, efpecially the 
lower ones, fomewhut hairy, fcrrated, about 
I • an inch in length, the lower ones narrowed 
I at the bafe, the upper ones of an oblong or 
oval fhape, obtufe, lomewhat larger than the 
lower ones and nearly feflile. 
FLOWER -BRANCHES Angle, or growing In pairs, 
from the fide near the top of the ftalk, out of 
the aloe of the leaves, landing on a foot-flalk, 
upright, naked, downy, the flowers placed on 
fliort foot-flalks without any regular order. 
FLORAL-LEAF, one placed fingly under each flower, 
linear, obtufe, downy, fcarce the length of 
the calyx, and upright. 
CALYX: a Fehianthum of one leaf, deeply divi- 
ded into four fegments, befet with rough hairs 
which are glandular at the top, the fegments 
oval pointed, and nearly equal, fg. i 
COROLLA monopetaious and wheel-fhaped; the 
‘Ful’e fhort and whitifh ; the Limb divided 
STAMINA; Filamenta duo, albida, tubo inferta, 
corolla longiora; AntherrE cordata;, cosru- 
lefcentes ; Pollen album, fg, 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen fubovatum, obtufum, com- 
prefllim, vifeofum, utrinque fulcatum, ball 
glandula cindum; Stylus filiformis, verfus 
apicem paululum iiicraflatus, violaceus ; 
Stigma truncatum, fig. 4, 
PERIC ARPIUM ; Capfula cords.tSi, comprefla, calyce 
paulo longior, fig, y 
SEMINA plurima, parva, comprefla, pallide fufea. 
fig- 5- 
. - . .......AA., Lw.., UIVIUCU 
into four fegments, of a faint violet colour, 
painted with more deeply coloured veins, the 
fegments ovate, obtufe and unequal; the 
three largeft nearly equal ; the fingle one twice 
as narrow as the others, fig. 2. 
STAMINA; two Filaments, of a whitifli colour, 
inierted into the tube, and longer than the 
corolla; Anthers heart fhaped, ofablue- 
ilh colour; Pollen white, fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen fomewhat ovate, obtufe, 
flatten’d, clammy, grooved on each fide, fur- 
rounded at its bafe by a gland; Style 
thread-lhaped, a little thickened towards the 
top, of a violet colour; Stigma as if cut 
- off. fig. 4. 
^ SEED-VESSEL: a heart fliaped flattened a 
i little longer than the calyx, fig. 5, 
I SEEDS numerous, fmall, flattened, of a pale brown 
colour, fig. 6. 
ON dry mountainous fituations, as on Hampflead 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 charader is its creeping ftalk, which in fome fituations is more flrldly fo than in 
others, I have obferyed it on fome dry heaths, creeping clofe to the earth, and in other places fcarcely procumbent 
but it always has this charader in a greater or lefs degree. ’ 
In the colour of its bloflbms it varies much, they being in fome fituations almofl blue, in others reddifli and in 
others white ; and it is faid to have been found with double flowers. ’ 
When it meets vyith a luxuriant foil, its ftalks will extend a foot or two, and its leaves equal thofe of the 
Veronica Cbamcedrys in fize. 
Many writers on the Materia Medica, have been lavlfh of their encomiums on its virtues. Rutty thus fpeaks 
of it. - 
“ It has a faint fmcll which is not difagreeable, to the tafte it is bitterifli and fomewhat aflringent ; the ex- 
trad 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 mofl: in the refinous part. 
“ An infufion of it on the addition of Vitriol of Iron became of a greenilh 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 vuhie- 
“ raries, bad ulcers it cleanfes, and difpofes them to heal ; I have mylclf been witnefs of its efficacy in this refped,- 
“ applied to an inveterate cancerous ulcer in the form of a cataplafm, from difeharging 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 of Rofes, it cures the Thrulh, and other ulcers of the mouth and throat. 
“ Taken inwardly it relieves the afthmatic, attenuating and promoting the expeftoration of vlfcid phlegm, and 
“ drank as Tea, it alfo proves ferviceable in wounds or ulcers of the Lungs, &c. &c. 
Thefe good efFefls related with fo much confidence by the Dr. we have tranflated, and prefeiit to our readers 
flrould they not be exaggerated the Veronica ofiicmUs has very unmeritedly fall’n into difufe. ’ 
