VERONICA Lin. Gen. PI. Dïandria MonoGyn ia.
Cor. Limbo 4-partito, laciniâ infimâ, anguftiore. Capfula bilocularis.
RaiiSyn. Gen. 18. Herbæ fructu sicco singülari Flore aIonopetalo.
VERONICA hederæfolia, floribus folitariis, foliis cordatis planis quinquelobis. Lin. Syjl. Vegetab.
p. 58. Spec. Plant. p. 19. Flor. Suecic. p. 7.
VERONICA caule procumbente; foliis Iobatis, petiolis paucifloris. Haller HiJl.Helv. n. 550,
VERONICA hederæfolia. Scopoli. Fl. Carniol. p. 21.
ALSINE Hederulae folio. Bauh. Pin. 250.
ALSINE Hederulae folio minor. Parkinf. 760.
ALSINE hederacea. Ger.emac. 616;
VERONICA flofculis fingularibus, Hederulae folio, Mqrfus Gallinae minor diâa. Ivy-leaved Speedwell,
or (mail Henbit, Raii Syn. p. 280.
Hudfon Fl. Angl. p. 6.
Lighfoot Fl. Scot. p. 76.
RADIX annua, parva, fibrofa.
CAULIS decumbens, fubramofus, teres, crafliufculus,
tener, pilis mollibus veftitus, viticulis allines
inftar geniculatus.
FOLIA alterna, petiolata, fubcordata, trilobata aüt
quinquelobata, fubcarnofa, utrinque hirfuta,
quinquenervia.
PEDUNCULl uniflori, axillares, demum reflexi.
$ ROOT annual, fmall, and fibrous.
| STA LK decumbent, fomewhat branched, round*
thickilh, tender, covered with foft hairs, and
I ftringy withinfide like Chickweed,
❖ LEAVES alternate, Handing on foOt-ftalks, fomewhat
heart-fliaped, with three or five lobes, a little
flelhy, and hirfute on each fide.
❖
$ FLOWER-STALKS, each fupporting one flower,
$ proceeding from the bofoms of the leaves*
| finally bending downward.
CALYX: Per iANTHiuM tetraphyllum, foliolis mag- |
nis, cordatis, acutis, ciliâtis, fig. 1. $❖
❖
CALYX : a Perianthium of four leaves, which are
large, heart-fhaped, pointed, and edged with
hairs, Jig. 1.
COROLLA monopetala, rotata, pallide ccfcrulea, la-
ciniis ovatis, infiroa anguftiore, fig. 2, calyc«
•brevioribus ; faux intus villofa,fig. 3.
STAMINA: Filament a duo, alba: A n thers cce-
rulefcentes, jig. 4, 5, 6.
$ COROLLA, of one Pet al , wheel-fliaped, pale blue*
the fegments oval, the lower one narroweft*
| Jig. 2. Ihorter than the calyx ; the mouth vil-
| lous within, jig. 3.
I STAMINA: two white Filaments: A n th er s blue-
? i(h, fig. 4, 5, 6.
PISTILLUM: G ermen fubrotundum : Stylus fili- |
formis, albus : Stigma craffum, alburn,^. 7. $
I
PERICARPIUM : Capsula magna, obcordata, fub- $
rotunda, bilocularis, fig. 8. |
. f
SEMINA duo in fingulo loculamento, magna, nefta- |
rio Cypripedii haud diffimilia, pallide fufca, $
intus concava, umbilicata, fig. 9, 10, 11. |
❖
PISTILLUM : Germen roundilh : Style thread-
fhaped and white: Stigma thick and white.
,. h - 7-
SEED-VESSEL : a C apsule, large, fomewhat in-
verfely heart-fliaped* roundilh, with two cav
itie s ,^ -. 8.
SEEDS two in each cavity, large, in form not unlike
the Neftary of the Ladies Slipper, of a pale
brown, hollow within, with a navel-like appearance,
externally convex, and grooved or
notched* fig. 9, 10, 11.
The Veronica hedercefolia appears to be a very general plant throughout Europe.
Of our Englilh Speedwells, it has the greateft affinity to the Veronica agrefiis, as well in its habit and place
of growth, as in the peculiar formation of its feed-veffels and feeds: but although its feed-veflels are nearly
of the fame lize, yet its feeds are confiderably larger ; in the one, we fcarce ever obferve more than four, and
often but two; in the other we generally find eight or more ; hence we are able to account for the remarkable
large feed-leaves which occur in this fpecies. The %hederafolia differs alfo from the agrtjlis in feveral other
refpefts ; the leaves are more thinly placed on the ftalks, and have feldom more than two or four notches in
them ; and the flowers are of a very pale blue colour.
Like the agrefiis, it grows in gardens and corn-fields, particularly in the latter, when the foil is light, in great
abundance, and flowers in April. Its feeds are ripe the latter-end of May._
The farmer may confider it as an harmlefs annual. Its virtues, if any, remain as yet undifcovered.