Burke: Veronica filiformis vs. Veronica cusickii

	Veronica filiformis	Veronica cusickii
	thread-stalk speedwell	Cusick's speedwell
Habit	Mat-forming perennial, the stems 1-4 dm. long, lax, simple or branched below, loosely ascending, often rooting at the lower nodes.	Perennial from shallow rhizomes, the stem simple, erect or curved at the base, 0.6-2 dm. tall, thinly puberulent.
Leaves	Principal leaves opposite, short-petiolate, the blade broadly elliptic to nearly orbicular, cordate based, with short, broad teeth, 1-2 cm. long and three-fourths or more as wide.	Leaves opposite, elliptic to ovate or obovate, 1-2.5 mm. long and 5-14 mm. wide, glabrous, entire.
Flowers	Flowers single on long pedicels (up to 6 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 bluish-lavender, 5-11 mm. wide, rotate, 4-lobed; the upper lobe the largest; style 1.5-2.5 mm. long; stamens 2.	Inflorescence a terminal, bracteate raceme, the flowers pedicellate, at least the upper bracts alternate; sepals 4, unequal; corolla deep blue-violet, rotate, 8-13 mm. wide, 4-lobed, the upper lobe the largest; style exerted, 6-10 mm. long; stamens 2, filaments 4-8 mm. long.
Fruits	Capsule 5-9 mm. wide and 3-5 mm. high.	Capsule glandular-pubescent, somewhat notched, 4-6 mm. high, higher than wide.

	Veronica filiformis	Veronica cusickii
Flowering time	April-June	July-September
Habitat	Weed of lawns and gardens	Open, moist, rocky slopes from subalpine to alpine.
Distribution	Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Montana, also in eastern North America. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia south to California, east to Idaho and Montana. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Introduced from Eurasia	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	V. americana, V. anagallis-aquatica, V. argute-serrata, V. arvensis, V. catenata, V. chamaedrys, V. cusickii, V. dissecta, 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. 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
Web links	Local floras: BC, OR, WA 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, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Veronica filiformis

Veronica cusickii

thread-stalk speedwell

Cusick's speedwell

Habit

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

Perennial from shallow rhizomes, the stem simple, erect or curved at the base, 0.6-2 dm. tall, thinly puberulent.

Leaves

Principal leaves opposite, short-petiolate, the blade broadly elliptic to nearly orbicular, cordate based, with short, broad teeth, 1-2 cm. long and three-fourths or more as wide.

Leaves opposite, elliptic to ovate or obovate, 1-2.5 mm. long and 5-14 mm. wide, glabrous, entire.

Flowers

Flowers single on long pedicels (up to 6 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 bluish-lavender, 5-11 mm. wide, rotate, 4-lobed; the upper lobe the largest;

style 1.5-2.5 mm. long;

stamens 2.

Inflorescence a terminal, bracteate raceme, the flowers pedicellate, at least the upper bracts alternate;

sepals 4, unequal;

corolla deep blue-violet, rotate, 8-13 mm. wide, 4-lobed, the upper lobe the largest;

style exerted, 6-10 mm. long;

stamens 2, filaments 4-8 mm. long.

Fruits

Capsule 5-9 mm. wide and 3-5 mm. high.

Capsule glandular-pubescent, somewhat notched, 4-6 mm. high, higher than wide.