SCROPHULARIA VERNALIS. YELLOW FIG-WORT.
SCROPHULARIA mrnalis; foliis cordatis duplicato-serratis pubescentibus, pedunculis axillaribus
solitariis dichotomis foliolosis. Smith.
SCROPHULARIA vernalis. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 864. Huds. Angl.p. 2,75. With. JBot. Arr. ed. 4.
ml. 3 .p . 544. Roth Germ. ml. 2. p. 59. Oed. FI. Dan. t. 411. Willd. Sp.
PI. ml. 3. p. £74. Smith Fl. Brit. p . 664. Engl. JBot. t. 567. Decand. Fl. Fr.
ed. 3. vol. 3. p. 579- Fl. Gall. Syn.p. 231. Pers. Syn. PI. ml. 2. p . 160. Alton
Hort. K m . ed. 2. ml. 4.//. 24.
SCROPHULARIA foliis longe petiolatis, cordatis, subhirsutis, petiolis in alis ramosis. Hall. Heli).
' n. 327.
Class an d Ord e r . DIDYNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA.
[Natural O rder. PERSONATES, Decand. SCROPHULARLE, Juss. SCROPHULARINAS, Brown.]
Ge n . Cha r. Calyx quinquefidus. Corolla subglobosa, resupinata. Capsula bilocularis.
Radix crassa, squamis camosis pallide fuscis tecta, in-
ferne fascicul ato-fibrosa.
Caulis erectus, pedalis ad bipedalCm, crassus, fistulo-
sus, raraosus, viridis, quadrangularis, pilis brevi-
bus ubique obsitus.
Folia opposita, mollia, reticulatim venosa utrinque,
sed subtus prascipue, pilosa, cordata, acuta, infe-
riora obtusa, profunde duplicato-serrata, flaves-
centi-viridia, petiolata, petiolis folio brevioribus,
pilosis.
P edunculi e foliorum axillis, graciles, solitarii, pildsi,
apice di- trichotome divisi, bracteati, rriultiflori,
bracteis lanceolatis foliaceis, superioribus minu-
' fissions.
Calyx monophyllus, viridis, persistons, profunde quin-
. quefidus, laciniis ovatis, extus pilosis, apicibus
recurvis.
Corolla monopetala, flava, rotundato-ovata, dorsogib-
bosa, ore^contracto quinquepartito, laciniis ro-
tundatisr subæquàlibus.
Stamina : Filamenta quatuor, corolla lpngiora, ejus
basi inserta, filiformia, subæqualia, alba, versus
apicem incrassata, glandulosa. Àntheræ reni-
formes, flavæ, uniloculares, transversim aperi-
entes. Pollen globosum, pallescens.
P istillum : Germen subconicum, pubescens, annulo
elevato viridi cinctum. Stylus filiformis, longitu-
dine staminum. Stigma.obtusum.
P ericarpium : Capsula ovato-acuminata, stylo persistente
coronata, venosa, subpilosa, bilocularis, bi-
valvis, dissepimento duplicato marginibus inflex-
is valvarum constructo, apice dehiscens. Recep-
taculum spongiosum, centrale, per maturitatem
marginibus apiceque liberum, basi solummodo
affixum.
Sem in a numerosa, parva, oblonga, atro-fusca, puncta- I
to-rugosa.
Albumen semini conforme, carnosum, album.
Embryo inclusus, rectus,: Radicula inféra.
Root thick, covered with pale brown fleshy scales, below
fasciculato-fibrose.
Stem erect, a foot to two feet high, thick, fisfculose,
branched, green, quadrangular, covered all over
with short hairs.
L eaves opposite, soft, reticulated with veins on each
side, but especially beneath, hairy, cordate,
acute, the lower ones obtuse, deeply and doubly
serrated, yellowish green, petiolate, with the petioles
shorter than the leaf, and hairy.
Peduncles from the axils of the leaves, slender, solitary,
pilose, towards the extremity twice or thrice
divided, bracteate, many-flowered, with the brac-
teas lanceolate foliaceous, the superior ones very
small. -
Calyx monophyllous, green, persistent, deeply five-cleft,
with the lacinife ovate, hairy without, the apices
recurved.
Corolla of one petal, yellow, roundish-ovate, gibbose
on the back, the'mouth narrow and five-cleft,
with the segments rounded, nearly equal.
Stamens : Filaments four, inserted at the base o f the
corolla, and longer than it, filiform, nearly equal,
white, towards the apex thickened, and glandu-
‘ lose. Anthers kidney-shaped, yellow, of one cell,
opening transversely. Pollen globose, pale.
P is t il : Germen nearly conical, pubescent, encircled
at the base by a green nectary. Style filiform, as
long as the stamens. Stigma obtuse.
Pe r ica rp : an ovato-acuminate capsule, crowned with
the persistent style, veined, somewhat hairy, two-
celled, with two valves, with a double dissepiment
formed of the inflected margins o f the
valves, opening at the extremity. Receptacle
spongy, central, when ripe free a t the margins'
and apices, fixed only by its base.
Seeds numerous, small, oblong, blackish brown, rough
with dots.
Albumen of the same shape as the seed, fleshy, white.
Embryo included, straight: Radicle inferior.
Fig. 1. Flower. Fig. 2. Calyx. Fig. 3. Corolla laid open to show the stamens. Fig. 4. Upper part o f a
filament and anther. Fig. 5. Pollen. Fig. 6. Pistillum with the nectary at the base of the germen more or
less magnified.— Fig. 7. Capsule. Fig. 8. Seeds, nat. size. Fig. 9- Capsule opening. Fig. 10. Capsule cut
open horizontally to show the receptacle of the seeds. Fig. 11. One valve of the capsule with the receptacle
and seeds. Fig. 12. Seed. Fig. 18. The same cut open to show the albumen and embryo.— All more or less
magnified.
: Charming specimens of this plant, from which the figure and description are taken, were communicated in June
1817 by J. E. Bicheno, Esq. from a lane leading from Bucklebury Church to Marsden, Berkshire. Other stations
given for it arc at Gloddacth, Caenarvonshire, hedges in and about Hempsted, Essex, at Llanforda, Merionethshire,
Fornham St. Genevieve, Suffolk, at Mitcham in the way to Merton, Surry, and about Newburgh, near
Cottiswold, Yorkshire. Mr. Graves finds it on the sides of the Iron rail-way from Merton to Wandsworth, and
I have met with it in great abundance on a steep bank near Cley, Norfolk, in the year 1807.
From all our British species of Scrophularia this differs in the colour of its flowers. The plant is a handsome
one, and deserves a place in the flower-garden, where it is cultivated with but little trouble, blooming for a considerable
length of time, and bearing a profusion of seed-vessels.
The figure in English Botany represents the corolla as having two of the anthers arising from its mouth, and two
from the base, which I have never seen to be the case.
70