VERONICA*. Linnean Class and Order. DIA'NDRIA†, MONOGY'NIA. Natural Order. SCROPHULARI'NEÆ. Dr. R. Brown. - Lindl. Syn. p. 187; Introd. to Nat. Syst. Bot. p. 228.-SCROPHULA'RINÆ. Rich. by Macgilliv. p. 434.-SCROPHULA'RIÆ. Juss.-Sm. Gram. of Botany, p. 100. GEN. CHAR. Calyx (fig. 3.) monosepalus (of one leaf), inferior, permanent, in 4, rarely 5, deep, spear-shaped, pointed, more or less. unequal segments. Corolla (fig. 1.) monopetalous (of one petal), wheel-shaped, deciduous, tube nearly as long as the calyx; limb flat, in 4 deep, unequal, entire segments, the lower one smallest, the upper broadest. Filaments 2, spreading, tapering downwards. Anthers oblong. Germen compressed. Style thread-shaped, as long as the stamens, declining (bent downwards). Stigma small, notched. Capsule (fig. 2.) various in shape, either egg-shaped, oval, or inversely heart-shaped, compressed at the point, of 2 cells, and 4 valves. Seeds numerous, roundish. The monopetalous, wheel-shaped corolla of 4 unequal segments, of which the lower is the smallest, and the superior capsule of 2 cells and 4 valves, will distinguish this genus from all others in the same class and order. Nineteen species British. VERONICA CHAME'DRYS. Wild Germander. German der Speedwell. SPEC. CHAR. Cluster lateral. Leaves egg-shaped, sessile, wrinkled, deeply serrated. Stem diffuse (loosely spreading), hairy, but the hairs disposed only in two opposite longitudinal lines. Calyx 4-cleft, spear-shaped. Engl. Bot. t. 623.-Curt. Fl. Lond. t. -Huds. Fl. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 6.Sm. Fl. Brit. v. i. p. 22. Engl. Fl. v. i. p. 23.-With. (7th ed) v. ii. p. 20.Lindl. Syn. p. 189.-Hook. Br. Fl. p. 6.-Mart. Fl. Rust. t. 66.-Lightf. Fl. Scot. v. i. p. 74.-Sibth. Fl. Oxon. p. 5.-Abbot's Fl. Bedf. p. 4.-Purt. Midl. Fl. v. i. p. 50.-Relh. Fl. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 9.-Hook. Fl. Scot. p. 7.-Grev. Fl. Edin. p. 4.-Johns. Fl. of Berw. v. i. p. 7. -Jones and Kingston's Fl. Devoniensis, pp. 3 & 149.-Walk. Fl. of Oxf. p. 5.-Mack. Catal. of Pl. of Ireland, p. 8.-Veronica bibarbata, Gray's Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 307.-Veronica chamaedrys sylvestris dicta, Ray's Syn. p. 281.- Chamædrys sylvestris, Johnson's Gerarde, p. 657. LOCALITIES.-In woods and pastures, and on hedge-banks.-Common. Perennial.-Flowers in May and June. Root somewhat creeping. Stems procumbent (lying on the ground), or somewhat ascending, a foot long, with two opposite hairy lines, which take different sides between each pair of leaves. Fig. 1. Corolla, Stamens, and Pistil.-Fig. 2. Capsule.-Fig. 3. Calyx. "From the Romish Saint of that name, but how connected is not obvious. Among various conjectures as to the origin of this name, the most rational seems to be, that it was compounded of the Greek words phero, to bring, and nike, victory; alluding to its supposed efficacy in subduing diseases." WITHERING. + The 2nd class in the Linnean Artificial System, containing all those plants which have perfect flowers, with 2 distinct stamens in each. River, and in a bog on Uxbridge Moor, plentiful: BLACKSTONE, in Spec. Bot. p. 20.-Norfolk; Near Lynn, and in other parts of the county: Sir J. E. SMITH, in Fl. Brit.-Northamptonshire; Near the bridge entering Brockhall Lawn from Norton: Mr. GRIFFITH, in Withering.-Northumberland; At Prestwick Carr: Winch's Guide.-Staffordshire; About a mile from Stafford, in ditches adjoining the foot-road to Aston: Dr. WITHERING, in Bot. Arr.Suffolk; About Bungay, very common: Mr. WOODWARD, in Bot. Guide.— Yorkshire; In the lakes on Brigstear Moss, about four miles from Kendall, plentiful: Mr. CURTIS, in Fl. Lond. In rivers and rivulets about Castle Howard: Mr. R. TEESDALF, in Trans of Linn. Soc. v. ii. p. 104. Near Rotherham: Mr. LANGLEY, in Loud. Mag. of Nat. Hist. v. ii. p. 269.-WALES. Flintshire; In ditches adjoining Rhyd Marsh, near Prestatyn : Mr. GRIFFITH, in With. Bot. Arr.-Berwick-upon-Tweed; In the Leet below Belville Farm, in the parish of Eccles: Rev. A. BAIRD, in Fl. of Berwick. Lithtillum Loch and Ferneyrig Marsh: Mr. R. D. THOMSON, ibid.-SCOTLAND. Lochend and Duddingston Loch near Edinburgh: Mr. BROWN, in With. Bot. Arr.Castle Semple Loch near Glasgow: Mr. HOPKIRK, in Hook. Fl. Scot.-About Forfar: Mr. G. DoN, ibid.-Loch of Clunie, and Marsh of Bonachalley: Mr. ARNOTT, ibid.-IRELAND. Plentiful in the ponds in Mr. White's demesne at Woodlands: Mr. J. T. MACKAY, in Catal. of Plants of Ireland. Perennial.-Flowers in May and June. Root creeping, white, throwing out numerous slender fibres from the joints. Stems numerous, rising a foot or more above the water, upright, simple, round, smooth, striated, jointed, spongy, with a central column containing spiral vessels. Leaves from 8 to 10 or 12 in a whorl round each joint of the stem, sessile, narrow, strapshaped, from half an inch to three quarters of an inch, or more, long, somewhat callous at the points, quite entire, without nerves. Flowers very simple, sessile, one at the base of each of the upper leaves, the lower ones often without stamens. Calyx very minute, forming a slightly elevated rim on the top of the germen. Filament attached to the inside of the calyx, at first very short, (fig. 1.) but afterwards becoming as long as the pistil, (fig. 2). Anthers very large, of two roundish lobes, when young having the style passing between the lobes, (fig. 1). Style short, naked. Stigma tapering to a point, white and downy when magnified. Germen inferior, oval. Fruit a small 1-celled nut, (fig. 3.) containing a single, inverted seed. Dr. HOOKER informs us, in his British Flora, that in deep streams of water connecting the little Lakes, or Broads, at Surlingham, Norfolk, he had had this plant pointed out to him, by Mr. DEERE, 2 and 3 feet long, with the leaves excessively crowded, 3, and even 4 inches long, pellucid, with an opaque nerve, their points not callous; the whole plant submerged, and consequently barren. On Ben-y-gloe, in Scotland, at a considerable elevation above the sea, the same distinguished Botanist found a variety, the opposite extreme of this, scarcely 4 inches high, and apparently the Hippuris montana of Reich Ic. t. 86. According to the observations of LINNEUS, goats will eat this plant, but cows, sheep, horses, and swine refuse it. GMELIN says, that wild-ducks in the North feed upon it; and it is reputed to assist in purifying the air in standing water, marshes, &c.-A transverse slice of the stem (fig. 4.) is a beautiful microscopic object. |