Veronica O fficinalis. Male Speedwell.
VERONICA Lin. Gen. PI. D iandria Monogynia.
Cor. Limbo 4. partito, laciniä infima anguftiore, Capfula bilocularis.
Raii Syn. Gen. 18. Herbie fructu sicco singulari flore monopetalo.
VERONICA officinalis fpicis lateralibus pedunculatis, foliis oppofitis, caule procumbente. Lin. Syß.
Vegetab. p. 56. Sp. PI. 14. FI. Suec. n. 12.
VERONICA caule decumbeftte, foliis fcabris, petiolatis,.ovatis, ex alis racemofa. Haller hiß. n. z40.
VERONICA officinalis. Scopoli. FI. Cam. n. 21.
VERONICA mas fupina et vulgatiffima. Bauh. Pin, 246.
VERONICA vera et major. Ger. emac. 626.
VERONICA mas vulgaris fupina. Parkinf. 550. Raii Syn. p. 281. The Male Speedwell or Fluellin.
Hud/ön Fl. Angl, ed. 2. p. 4.
Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 27.
Oeder FI. Dan. t. 248.
RADIX perennis, fibrofa. *.
CAULES palmarès feu fpithamæi, teretes, hirfuti, ri- '
giduli, repentes.
FOLIA oppofita, petiolata, prefertim inferiora, hir- \
futula, ferrata, pollicaria, inferiora, bafi an- ;
guftata,fuperioraovali-obîonga,obtufa,paulo *
majora, fubfeflilia.
RACEMI folitarii, live gemini, in fummitate latérales,
axillares ex foliis, pedunculati, erefli, nudi,
pubefcentes, floribus fparlis, brevius pedicel-
latis.
BRACTEÆ ad flores, folitariæ;, lineares, obtufæ, pubefcentes,
longitudine vix calycis, ereftæ.
CALYX : Perianthium monophyllum, quadriparti-
■ tum, hirfutum, pilis apice glanduligeris, laci-
niis ovato lanceolatis fubæqualibus,^g. 1.
COROLLA monopetala,rotata; Tw^Mihrevis, albidus,
Limbus quadripartitus, dilute violaceus, venis
faturatioribus piftus, laciniis ovatis, ob'tufis,
inæqualibus ; tribus majoribus fubæqualibus,
unica duplo anguftiore, Jig. 2.
STAMINA: Filamenta duo, albida, tubo inferta,
corolla longiora; A n th e r s cordatae, cceru-
lefcentes; Pollen album, Jig. 3.
PISTILLUM: G ermen fubovatum, obtufum, com-
preffum, vifcofum, utrinque fulcatum, bafi
glandula cin&um; Stylus filiformis, verfus
apicem paululum incraflatus, violaceus
S tigma truncatum, Jig. 4.
PERICARPIUM : Capfula cordata, comprefla, calyce
paulo longior, jig. 5.
SEMINA plurima, parva, comprefla, pallide fufca,
.fig.6.
RO OT perennial and fibrous.
STA LK S from three to feven inches in length, round,
hirfute, ftiffilh, and creeping.
LEAVES oppofite,Handing on footftalks,efpecially the
lower ones, fomewhat hairy, ferrated, about
an inch in length, the lower ones naTrowed
at the bafe, the upper ones of an oblong or
oval lhape, obtufe, fomewhat larger than the
lower ones and nearly feflile.
FLOWER-BRANCHES fingle, or growing.in pairs,
from the fide near the top of the ftalk, out o f
the alas of the leaves, {landing on a foot-ftalk,
upright, naked, downy, the flowers placed on
fhort foot-ftalks without any regular order.
FLORAL-LEAF, one placed fingly under each flower,
linear, obtufe, downy, fcarce the length of
the calyx, and upright.
C A L YX : a Perianthium of one leaf, deeply divided
into four fegments, befet with rough hairs
which are glandular at the top, the fegments
oval pointed, and nearly equal, fig. 1.
CO ROL LA monopetalous and wheel-fhaped; the
Tube fhort and whitifh; the Limb divided
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, Jig. 2.
ST AM IN A : two Filaments, of a whitifh colour,
inferted into the tube, and longer than the
corolla : A nther a: heart- fhaped, of a blue-
ifh colour; Pollen white, Jig. 3.
PISTILLUM : G ermen fomewhat ovate, obtufe,
flattened, clammy, grooved on each fide, fur-
rounded at its bafe by a gland ; S ty le
thread-fhaped, a little thickened towards the
top, of a violet colour; Stigma as if cut
off, 4-
SEED-VESSEL : a heart fhaped flattened Cap/ule, a
.# little longer than the calyx, Jig. 5.
SEEDS numerous* fmall, flattened, 01 a pale brown
colour,^*. 6.
On dry mountainous fituations, as onHampftead Heath, and about Charlton Wood, we find this fpecies of
Veronica in great abundance, producing flowers from June to Auguft, or later.
Its principal diftinguifhing charafler is its creeping ftalk, which in fome fituations is more ftri&ly fo than in
others, I have obferved it <?n fome dry heaths, creeping clofe to the earth, and in other places fcarcely procumbent,
but it always has this charafter 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 have been found with double flowers.
When it meets with a luxuriant foil, its ftalks will extend a footer two, and its leaves equal thofe of the
Veronica Chamasdrys in fize.
Many writers on the Materia Medica have been lavifh of their encomiums on its virtues. R u t t y thus fpeaks
o f it.
“ It has a faint frnell which is not difagreeable, to the tafte it is bitterifh and fomewhat aftringent; the extraft
of it was alfo bitter and aftringent, but that prepared 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 A lston
** black; blue paper it made red.
In its external ufe the cleanfing and aftringent powers which it poflefles, place it among the principal vul-,
** neraries, bad ulcers it cleanfes, and difpofes them to heal; I have myfelf been witnefs of its efficacy in this
refpeft, applied to an inveterate cancerous ulcer in the form of a cataplafm, from difcharging a thin ichor, it
“ produced a laudable pus.
figH kas 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 thrufh, and other ulcers of the mouth and throat.
« j Taken inwardly it relieves the.afthmatic, attenuating and promoting the expe&oration of vifcid phlegm, and
“ drank as tea; it alfo proves ferviceable m wounds or ulcers of the lungs, &c. &c.
Thefe good effects, related with fo much confidence by the Do£lor, we have tranflated, and prefent to our
readers, fhould they not be exaggerated the Veronica officinalis has very unmeritedly fallen into difpfe.