a mile or more, on broken ground and among corn. The
situation is precisely such as it affects in Normandy, and not
the slightest doubt can remain of its claim to be regarded as
a native. It is said to extend from Moscow to Spain, and
from Hanover to Algeria.
Root simply fusiform or branched, beset with flexuose
branchy fibres. Stem erect, bearing a few pairs of axillary,
simple, ascending, gradually shorter branches; or divided at
the crown of the root, the lateral stems decumbent, then erect,
usually branched like the central one, and attaining the same
height, 8-10 inches. Stems quadrangular, often tinged with
purple. Leaves opposite, spreading, on a narrowly-winged
stalk, shorter than the leaf; outline of the upper leaves rhomboid,
of the lower more triangular; all deeply pinnatifid, with
flat, linear, bluntish segments, not wider than the rachis, about
four pairs in the largest leaves, the lowest again pinnatifid,
the others incised, trifid, or entire; the margin slightly revolute
; the upper surface grooved, grass-green; the under paler,
without hairs, except on the prominent ribs and edges: upper
leaves smaller. Whorls shorter than the leaves, of 4-8, most
commonly 6, flowers, set somewhat spirally on the stem in
two opposite axillary sessile fascicles, but all turned to one
side, whilst the subtending leaves spread together in the contrary
direction. Flower-stalks ascending, afterward horizontal,
affixed to the calyx above its base. Calyx obsoletely quadrangular,
smooth within, except a ring of long hairs, somewhat
inflated, slightly gibbous above, and contracted on the under
side between the teeth and the rounded saccate base; teeth
triangular, the uppermost as wide as the middle pair below,
pressed upward by the style, the rest contiguous and appressed
to the corolla. Corolla rose-purple, the upper part within
white, varied with deep-red specks; tube slightly curved,
shorter than the tube of the calyx; lip about as long as the
calyx, deflexed from an ascending base, the sides of which
bear two pairs of small, obliquely triangular, acute, wavy
lobes, of which the upper pair are curved backward, and the
lower larger pair point forward and are unequally bifid: the
middle lobe is concave, rounded, entire or slightly emarginate:
the outside of the corolla, and the upper part of the lip on
the inside, are sprinkled with hairs. Stamens and style ascending
through the notch of the upper lip, not so long as the
lower lip. Anthers small, curved; the pollen-cells confluent.
Stigma-lips subulate, curved, unequal. Fruit rugose, pitted,
almost black, prettily dotted with white minute glands. The
whole herb is somewhat viscid, except the underside of the
leaves. The scent resembles Chamomile.
The old figures in Dodonaeus, L’Obel and Johnson, and
Gerarde are very characteristic.—W. B.