Burke: Veronica peregrina vs. Veronica filiformis

	Veronica peregrina	Veronica filiformis
	purslane speedwell	thread-stalk speedwell
Habit	Fibrous-rooted annual, the stems erect, 0.5-3 dm. tall, simple or branched below.	Mat-forming perennial, the stems 1-4 dm. long, lax, simple or branched below, loosely ascending, often rooting at the lower nodes.
Leaves	Principal leaves opposite, linear-oblong to oblanceolate, 0.5-3 cm. long and 1-9 mm. wide, irregularly toothed or entire.	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.
Flowers	Inflorescence terminal, elongate, lax; bracts alternate, similar to the leaves, gradually reduced upward, each subtending a single, sub-sessile flower; sepals 4; corolla white, inconspicuous, 2 mm. wide; style very short; stamens 2.	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.
Fruits	Capsule 3-4 mm. high, obcordate.	Capsule 5-9 mm. wide and 3-5 mm. high.

	Veronica peregrina	Veronica filiformis
Flowering time	April-September	April-June
Habitat	Swales, wet meadows, stream banks, and other moist places, from the lowlands to moderate elevations in the mountains.	Weed of lawns and gardens
Distribution	Widely distributed throughout most of Washington; widely distributed throughout North America. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	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]
Origin	Both native (var. xalapensis) and introduced (var. peregrina) varieties	Introduced from Eurasia
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. filiformis, V. hederifolia, V. ×lackschewitzii, V. longifolia, V. missurica, V. officinalis, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa	V. peregrina var. peregrina, V. peregrina var. xalapensis
Web links	Local floras: BC, OR, WA Local Web sites: 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	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

Veronica peregrina

Veronica filiformis

purslane speedwell

thread-stalk speedwell

Habit

Fibrous-rooted annual, the stems erect, 0.5-3 dm. tall, simple or branched below.

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

Leaves

Principal leaves opposite, linear-oblong to oblanceolate, 0.5-3 cm. long and 1-9 mm. wide, irregularly toothed or entire.

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.

Flowers

Inflorescence terminal, elongate, lax;

bracts alternate, similar to the leaves, gradually reduced upward, each subtending a single, sub-sessile flower;

sepals 4;

corolla white, inconspicuous, 2 mm. wide;

style very short;

stamens 2.

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.

Fruits

Capsule 3-4 mm. high, obcordate.

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