Burke: Veronica agrestis vs. Veronica persica

	Veronica agrestis	Veronica persica
		bird-eye speedwell, Persian speedwell
Habit		Taprooted annual, the stems 1-4 dm. long, lax, simple or branched below, loosely ascending, often rooting at the lower nodes.
Leaves		Principal leaves opposite, short-petiolate, the blade broadly elliptic or ovate, with rounded serrations, 1-2 cm. long and half to three-fourths as wide.
Flowers		Flowers single on long pedicels (up to 4 cm. in fruit) along an elongate stem, each subtended by a leaf-like, alternate bract, which are reduced upward; sepals 4, prominent, often veiny; corolla blue, the lower petal usually white, 5-11 mm. wide, rotate, 4-lobed; the upper lobe the largest; style 1.5-2.5 mm. long; stamens 2.
Fruits		Capsule 5-9 mm. wide and 3-5 mm. high, with a broad notch.

	Veronica agrestis	Veronica persica
Flowering time		March-May
Habitat		Lawns and waste ground.
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; widely introduced in much of North America. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin		Introduced from Europe
Conservation status		Not of concern
Sibling taxa	V. americana, V. anagallis-aquatica, V. argute-serrata, V. arvensis, V. catenata, V. chamaedrys, V. cusickii, V. dissecta, V. filiformis, V. hederifolia, V. ×lackschewitzii, V. longifolia, V. missurica, V. officinalis, V. peregrina, V. persica, V. polita, V. regina-nivalis, V. rubra, V. schizantha, V. scutellata, V. serpyllifolia, V. triphyllos, V. verna, V. wormskjoldii	V. americana, V. anagallis-aquatica, V. argute-serrata, V. arvensis, V. catenata, V. chamaedrys, V. cusickii, V. dissecta, V. filiformis, V. hederifolia, V. ×lackschewitzii, V. longifolia, V. missurica, V. officinalis, V. peregrina, V. polita, V. regina-nivalis, V. rubra, V. schizantha, V. scutellata, V. serpyllifolia, V. triphyllos, V. verna, V. wormskjoldii
Web links	Local floras: BC, OR Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Veronica agrestis

Veronica persica

bird-eye speedwell, Persian speedwell

Habit

Taprooted annual, the stems 1-4 dm. long, lax, simple or branched below, loosely ascending, often rooting at the lower nodes.

Leaves

Principal leaves opposite, short-petiolate, the blade broadly elliptic or ovate, with rounded serrations, 1-2 cm. long and half to three-fourths as wide.

Flowers

Flowers single on long pedicels (up to 4 cm. in fruit) along an elongate stem, each subtended by a leaf-like, alternate bract, which are reduced upward;

sepals 4, prominent, often veiny;

corolla blue, the lower petal usually white, 5-11 mm. wide, rotate, 4-lobed; the upper lobe the largest;

style 1.5-2.5 mm. long;

stamens 2.

Fruits

Capsule 5-9 mm. wide and 3-5 mm. high, with a broad notch.