Burke: Veronica peregrina vs. Veronica persica

	Veronica peregrina	Veronica persica
	purslane speedwell	bird-eye speedwell, Persian speedwell
Habit	Fibrous-rooted annual, the stems erect, 0.5-3 dm. tall, simple or branched below.	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, 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 or ovate, with rounded serrations, 1-2 cm. long and half to three-fourths 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 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 3-4 mm. high, obcordate.	Capsule 5-9 mm. wide and 3-5 mm. high, with a broad notch.

	Veronica peregrina	Veronica persica
Flowering time	April-September	March-May
Habitat	Swales, wet meadows, stream banks, and other moist places, from the lowlands to moderate elevations in the mountains.	Lawns and waste ground.
Distribution	Widely distributed throughout most of Washington; widely distributed throughout North America. [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	Both native (var. xalapensis) and introduced (var. peregrina) varieties	Introduced from Europe
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. 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
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, 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 peregrina

Veronica persica

purslane speedwell

bird-eye speedwell, Persian speedwell

Habit

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

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, 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 or ovate, with rounded serrations, 1-2 cm. long and half to three-fourths 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 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 3-4 mm. high, obcordate.

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