beautifulflowers032840mbp

Plate 17] VERONICA 79
B. Eacemes terminal.
I. Capsule egg - shaped - oblong. Seeds
flattened.
1. Capsule blunt at tip (fig. 3) ... F. deltigera.
2. Capsule notched at tip ... ... F. ciliata.
II. Capsule 2-lobed, lobes globose or
flattened. Seeds cup-shaped or
deeply grooved on one side.
1. Leaves 5-7-lobed ... ... ... F. hederaefolia.
2. Leaves not lobed.
a. Flower-stalks about as long as
the leaves ... ... ... F. agrestis.
b. Flower-stalks longer than the
leaves.
aa. Cellsof capsule 5- 12-seoded F. pcrsica.
bb. Cells of capsule 2-5-seeded.
Capsule cleft nearly to
:|:
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the base ... ... F. Hallbergit.
Capsule less deeply cleft F. biloba.
III. Capsule laterally flattened, broadly,
inversely heart-shaped. Seeds
much flattened.
1. Leaves deeply divided ... ... F. verna.
2. Leaves simple.
a. Capsule smooth ... ... F. serpyllifolia.
b. Capsule glandular-hairy
... F. arvensis.
The three species figured will be described first, the rest
follow in alphabetical order.
Fig. 1. Veronica Beccabunga, Linn. Brooklime, Beckyleaves,
Cow-cress, Horse- well Grass, Water Pimpernel,
Well-ink.
(Beccabunga is the German Bachbunge : Bach, a brook, Bunge,
a drum or an inflated body. The plant was used against abdominal
dropsy, which disease was, therefore, called Bungensucht or
Troinmelsucht.)
A half-aquatic fleshy plant, hairless or slightly hairy,
reddish, branched. Stem hollow, prostrate, ascending at the
tip, giving off roots at intervals, up to 2 ft. high, branches
6-18 in. long, spreading. Leaves 1-2 in. long, stalkless or
short-stalked, oval, rarely inversely egg-shaped, blunt, coarsely
toothed, smooth, fleshy, opposite. Flowers few or many,
forming axillary racemes 2-4 in. long. Bracts usually shorter