FNA: Veronica vs. Veronica anagallis-aquatica

Phenology

Flowering Mar–Sep(–Nov).

Habitat

Stream margins, ditches, banks, springs, swamps, wet meadows.

Elevation

0–4000 m. (0–13100 ft.)

Distribution

North America; Mexico; Central America; South America; Eurasia; Africa; Atlantic Islands; Pacific Islands; Australia

[BONAP county map]

AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; ME; MI; MO; MT; NC; ND; NE; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; ON; Eurasia; Africa; Atlantic Islands [Introduced in North America; likely introduced also in Mexico, Central America, South America]

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Species ca. 450 (34 in the flora).

Veronica includes many horticultural and weedy plants. Introduction and subsequent naturalization of species is often a possibility. The classification by D. C. Albach et al. (2004b) recognized 13 subgenera within Veronica; this was reduced to 12 by P. J. Garnock-Jones et al. (2007). Of these 12, ten are represented in the flora area. Species in this treatment are ordered by their placement in these subgenera as follows: subg. Pseudolysimachium (W. D. J. Koch) Buchenau (species 1 and 2, type V. spicata), subg. Veronica Linnaeus (species 3–10, type V. officinalis), subg. Beccabunga (Hill) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer (species 11–17, type V. beccabunga), subg. Pellidosperma (E. B. J. Lehman) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer (species 18, type V. praecox Allioni), subg. Cochlidiosperma (Reichenbach) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer (species 19–22, type V. hederifolia), subg. Chamaedrys (W. D. J. Koch) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer (species 23–26, type V. chamaedrys), subg. Stenocarpon (Borissova) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer (species 27, type V. ciliata Fischer), subg. Pocilla (Dumortier) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer (species 28–33, type V. agrestis), and subg. Pentasepalae (Bentham) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer (species 34, type V. teucrium).

One of the subgenera, subg. Synthyris (Bentham) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer, includes species treated here as the genus Synthyris. Other taxa included in Veronica but sometimes recognized at the generic rank are Pseudolysimachion (W. D. J. Koch) Opiz (D. C. Albach 2008) and Hebe Commerson ex Jussieu (P. J. Garnock-Jones et al. 2007).

Subgenus Pseudoveronica J. B. Armstrong includes Veronica franciscana Eastwood [= Hebe franciscana (Eastwood) Souster] and V. speciosa R. Cunningham ex A. Cunningham [= H. speciosa (R. Cunningham ex A. Cunningham) Andersen], which have been introduced to California as ornamentals that might escape.

Characters known to vary in Veronica are the indument (to densely white tomentose in V. incana Linnaeus), leaf shape, and flower color. Among many of the creeping species of the genus (for example, V. agrestis, V. filiformis, V. hederifolia, V. persica), most leaflike organs on the stems are bracts. The genus also includes a number of ornamentally grown plants, most of them more or less closely related to V. teucrium. They differ mainly in habit and leaf shape and should key out close to V. chamaedrys, V. officinalis, or V. teucrium, but none of them have been reported to persist outside their native range.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Veronica anagallis-aquatica is widespread. It is not clear whether it is native to the flora area; it is certainly introduced in some states and commonly dispersed by human activity. The species varies with water availability. It is frequently confused with V. catenata. Ecological differences (see discussion under 15. V. catenata) may suggest that V. anagallis-aquatica does not occur in most parts of Canada and Alaska from which the species is reported but is present in some states excluded from the distribution area due to the lack of herbarium specimens seen (for example, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Vermont). Hybrids are frequent in Europe (V. ×lackschewitzkii J. Keller) and have been reported for California and Nebraska (L. R. Heckard and P. Rubtzoff 1977). The sterile hybrids never form capsules and bear relatively long inflorescences. Another closely related species, V. anagalloides Gussone (= V. salina Schur), is not present in North America.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key

1. Racemes 1–25, axillary.	→ 2
2. Stems hairy, rarely glabrate or glabrous; leaf blades 1–3 times as long as wide, rarely to 4 times as long (V. teucrium); meadows, forests, and other dry habitats.	→ 3
3. Leaf blades elliptic-ovate, ovate, ovate-oblong, or obovate, bases cuneate to attenuate or obtuse.	→ 4
4. Pedicels 8–10 mm, longer than subtending bracts; arctic.	V. grandiflora
4. Pedicels (0.5–)1–2(–3) mm, shorter than subtending bracts; not arctic.	V. officinalis
3. Leaf blades ± ovate, ovate-orbiculate, or oblong-ovate, rarely lanceolate, bases truncate to ± cordate.	→ 5
5. Stems ascending, rarely erect, (7–)10–30(–50) cm, hairs along stem in 2 prominent lines; calyces 4-lobed; styles (2.5–)4–5 mm.	V. chamaedrys
5. Stems erect, rarely ascending, (15–)30–70(–100) cm, hairs evenly distributed around stem; calyces 5-lobed; styles 5–6 mm.	V. teucrium
2. Stems glabrous or, if hairy, then only distally; leaf blades 1.5–10 times as long as wide; wet meadows, marshes, or aquatic habitats.	→ 6
6. Petioles 2–6(–10) mm.	→ 7
7. Leaf blades widest near or distal to middle; styles (1.3–)1.5–3(–3.5) mm.	V. beccabunga
7. Leaf blades widest proximal to middle; styles (1.7–)2.5–3.5(–4) mm.	V. americana
6. Petioles 0(–5) mm or proximals to 8 mm and distals 0 mm.	→ 8
8. Capsules compressed in cross section, apices emarginate by 1/3 length; leaf blades narrowly lanceolate or linear, rarely elliptic.	V. scutellata
8. Capsules ± compressed or ± round in cross section, apices rounded or ± emarginate; leaf blades ovate-oblong, ovate, oblong, linear-lanceolate, lanceolate, elliptic, oblong-ovate, or oblong-lanceolate.	→ 9
9. Corollas white to pale pink; calyx lobe apices obtuse; stamens 5 mm; pedicels equal to ± shorter than subtending bract; leaf margins entire or subentire.	V. catenata
9. Corollas pale lilac to pale blue or lavender, rarely white; calyx lobe apices acute; stamens 2–3.5 mm; pedicels equal to longer than subtending bract; leaf margins crenate, serrulate, or denticulate to subentire, sometimes serrate or ± undulate (V. undulata).	→ 10
10. Pedicels suberect or arcuate-erect to subpatent; racemes 5–10 mm diam., axes glabrous, rarely glandular-hairy.	V. anagallis-aquatica
10. Pedicels patent; racemes 10–15 mm diam., axes sparsely glandular-hairy, rarely glabrous.	V. undulata
1. Racemes 1(–20), terminal, sometimes also with 1–4 axillary racemes, flowers sometimes appearing solitary.	→ 11
11. Perennials; leaf blades (5–)7–40(–150) mm (usually at least 3 mm longer than bracts); bracts 1–9(–15) mm.	→ 12
12. Corollas campanulate; racemes (50–)70–200(–300) mm, (50–)100–300-flowered.	→ 13
13. Stems usually with 10–20 nodes, (50–)70–120(–150) cm; leaf blade margins serrate to biserrate, apices acute.	V. longifolia
13. Stems usually with 4–10 nodes, 5–45(–60) cm; leaf blade margins shallowly crenate to shallowly serrate to subentire, apices obtuse to rounded.	V. spicata
12. Corollas rotate; racemes (± loose), 5–100(–130) mm, (1–)2–30(–60)-flowered.	→ 14
14. Capsules wider than long; stems with scattered eglandular hairs only, often also with glandular hairs, sometimes glabrate.	V. serpyllifolia
14. Capsules ca. as long as or longer than wide; stems eglandular- or glandular-hairy.	→ 15
15. Subshrubs; stems densely branched from woody base.	V. fruticans
15. Herbs; stems unbranched or sparsely branched.	→ 16
16. Stamens 1–2.3 mm; corollas 2.5–11 mm diam.; styles 0.5–4(–6) mm.	→ 17
17. Raceme axes eglandular-hairy or glabrate; pedicels 1.5–2(–4) mm; styles 0.5–1.5(–2) mm.	V. alpina
17. Raceme axes glandular-hairy; pedicels 2–10(–15) mm; styles 0.8–4(–6) mm.	V. wormskjoldii
16. Stamens 4–8 mm; corollas (8–)10–13 mm diam.; styles 3–10 mm.	→ 18
18. Leaf blade surfaces glabrous or glabrate.	V. cusickii
18. Leaf blade surfaces hairy.	→ 19
19. Leaf blade margins entire; stems glandular-hairy.	V. copelandii
19. Leaf blade margins dentate or serrate; stems eglandular-hairy.	V. stelleri
11. Mostly annuals (V. triphyllos sometimes biennial, V. filiformis perennial); leaf blades (2–)5–28(–35) mm; bracts 3–25 mm (if bracts less than 9 mm, leaf blades usually less than 10 mm).	→ 20
20. Pedicels 0–4(–5) mm.	→ 21
21. Corollas white or pale pink; leaf blades 3–10 times as long as wide, margins entire or dentate distally.	V. peregrina
21. Corollas ± blue; leaf blades 1–2.5 times as long as wide, margins crenate-serrate, pinnatifid, or subpalmatifid.	→ 22
22. Leaf margins crenate-serrate.	V. arvensis
22. Leaf margins, at least distal leaves, pinnatifid or ± palmatifid.	→ 23
23. Corollas 1.5–3 mm diam.; styles 0.2–0.6 mm, stigmas white.	V. verna
23. Corollas 4–6 mm diam.; styles 0.8–1.5 mm, stigmas violet.	V. dillenii
20. Pedicels (2–)4–30 mm.	→ 24
24. Leaf blade margins 3–5(–7)-palmatifid.	V. triphyllos
24. Leaf blade margins serrate, dentate, crenate-serrate, or 3–9-lobed.	→ 25
25. Styles (1.5–)2–4 mm; pedicels (12–)15–30(–38) mm; corollas ± blue, 8–14 mm diam.	→ 26
26. Capsules reticulate with prominent veins, sinus angle (80–)90–120(–150)°; pedicels (12–)15–27(–38) mm, length 1–2(–3) times subtending bracts.	V. persica
26. Capsules absent or almost smooth, sinus angle 50–90°; pedicels (15–)20–30 mm, length 2–5 times subtending bracts.	V. filiformis
25. Styles 0.2–2 mm; pedicels (2–)3–15(–30) mm; corollas ± blue, white, pale lilac, pinkish, or pale violet, 2–12 mm diam.	→ 27
27. Stems erect.	→ 28
28. Bract margins: proximals serrate, distals sometimes entire; leaf blades (6–)12–28(–35) mm; styles (0.7–)1–1.3(–1.7) mm.	V. argute-serrata
28. Bract margins entire; leaf blades (3–)4–12(–20) mm; styles 0.4–0.8(–2) mm.	V. biloba
27. Stems creeping, decumbent, or ascending, rarely erect in young plants (V. sublobata).	→ 29
29. Leaf blade margins dentate to serrate; capsules ± compressed or ± round in cross section, apices emarginate.	→ 30
30. Calyx lobes broadly ovate, 2.6–3.8 mm wide; capsules densely eglandular-hairy (hairs less than 0.1 mm), sometimes also glandular-puberulent (hairs 0.2–0.3 mm), rarely glabrous; corollas intense dark to bright blue, rarely pale lilac or white.	V. polita
30. Calyx lobes linear-lanceolate, 2.2–2.6 mm wide; capsules sparsely glandular-hairy; corollas white or pale pinkish or pale blue.	V. agrestis
29. Leaf blade margins 3–5(–9)-lobed; capsules ± round in cross section, apices ± emarginate.	→ 31
31. Corollas white; calyx lobes not ciliate.	V. cymbalaria
31. Corollas blue or pale violet to whitish; calyx lobes ciliate.	→ 32
32. Corollas deep blue with white center; calyx lobe abaxial surfaces puberulent, rarely glabrous; pedicel length 1–2 times calyx.	V. triloba
32. Corollas bright blue with bright white center or pale violet to whitish; calyx lobe abaxial surfaces sparsely hairy or glabrous; pedicel length 2–4(–6) times calyx.	→ 33
33. Corollas bright blue with bright white center, 5–7(–9) mm diam.; styles (0.6–)0.7–0.9(–1.1) mm; pedicel length 2–3 times calyx, eglandular-hairy in single line adaxially.	V. hederifolia
33. Corollas pale violet to whitish, 4–5(–6) mm diam.; styles 0.2–0.7 mm; pedicel length 3–4(–6) times calyx, densely eglandular-hairy adaxially.	V. sublobata