V E R O N I C A faxatilis.
Blue Rock Speedwell.
DIANDRIA Monogynia.
G en. C har. Cor. inferior, o f 1 petal, 4 cleft, wheel-
fhaped ; lower divifion narrowed. Cap/. 2-celled.
Spe c . C har. Corymbus terminal, o f few flowers.
Leaves elliptical. Stems fpreading. Capfule
ovate, o f four valves.
Syn . Veronica faxatilis. Linn. Suppl. 83. Sm. F t.
B r it. 17. Dick/. Crypt, fa fc. 1 . 29. With. 14.
Hull. 4. Scop. Cam. v . 1. 1 1 .
V . fruticulofa. Hudf. 4 ?
V . fruticans lerpyllifolia. Ger. em. 628.
S e N T from the highland mountain of Ben Lawers by Mr.
G. Donn and Mr. J. Mackay. It is perennial and even
fhrubby, flowering in July.
The roots run deep into fiflures of rocks, and the woody
branching entangled ftems form fmall tufts, from whence the
Ample leafy round downy flowering-branches, 3 or 4 inches
long, fpread in every direction. The leaves are oppofite,
fmall, elliptical or oblong, blunt, always entire at their bafe
and extremity, but often ferrated in fome degree about their
middle. They are a little thick or flefhy, fmooth, of a dull
darkith green, turning black when dry. From 3 to 6 large
handfome dark-blue flowers grow in a fhort terminal corymbus,
whofe ftalks are twice or thrice as long as their correfponding
floral leaves. Calyx in 4 nearly equal blunt downy fegments.
Orifice of the corolla elegantly tinged with red. Capfule
longer than the calyx, ovate, downy, fplitting as it ripens into
4 lanceolate valves, fo that the fruit differs much from the
heart-thaped form of our moft common fpecies.
This beautiful little plant has long been known in the more
curious Englifh gardens by the name of V. fruticulofa, with
which many botanifts (even Linnaeus, Haller, and Jacquin
originally) have been accuftomed to confound it; how unjuftly
will appear in our next plate.