Veronica anagallis-aquatica |
Veronica officinalis |
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blue speedwell, blue water speedwell, brook pimpernel, véronique mouron-d'eau, water pimpernel, water speedwell |
common gypsyweed, common speedwell, heath speedwell, herbal speedwell, Paul's betony, véronique officinale |
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Habit | Annuals or perennials. | Perennials. |
Stems | erect or prostrate basally, (20–)30–100(–170) cm, usually thick-fleshy, glabrous. |
creeping, decumbent to ascending distally, 10–40(–50) cm, densely eglandular-hairy, rarely glabrate or glabrous. |
Leaves | petiole 0–2(–8) mm (basal lateral branches usually distinctly petiolate to 8 mm) proximally, 0 mm distally; blade (of proximal leaves) ovate, elliptic, or oblong, (15–)30–80(–145) × (7–)10–30(–45) mm, 1.5–3 times as long as wide, base obtuse proximally to cordate-amplexicaul in middle and ± cuneate distally, margins ± serrulate or denticulate, apex acute, surfaces glabrous, rarely glandular-hairy. |
blade ovate, ovate-oblong, or obovate, (8–)20–35(–50) × (3–)10–20(–30) mm, 1.5–2 times as long as wide, base attenuate to cuneate or obtuse, margins dentate, denticulate, or serrulate, apex obtuse to rounded, surfaces sparsely to densely eglandular-hairy, rarely glabrate. |
Racemes | 6–25, axillary, 50–100(–150) mm, 5–10 mm diam., (20–)30–40(–60)-flowered, axis glabrous, rarely glandular-hairy; bracts linear to lanceolate, 2–5 mm, apex acute. |
1–4(–8), axillary, 40–60 mm, 10–35(–40)-flowered, axis densely to sparsely eglandular-hairy, sometimes also glandular-hairy, rarely glabrate; bracts linear-lanceolate or narrowly ovate, (1.5–)3–4(–5) mm. |
Pedicels | suberect or arcuate-erect to subpatent, curved upwards in fruit, 3–7(–10) mm, longer than subtending bracts, glabrous or hairy. |
erect, (0.5–)1–2(–3) mm, shorter than subtending bract, densely eglandular-hairy, rarely glandular-hairy or glabrate. |
Flowers | calyx lobes 2–3 mm, apex acute, glabrous, rarely hairy; corolla lavender to pale blue, rarely pale lilac, (4–)6–8 mm diam.; stamens 3–3.5 mm; style 1.5–2.5 mm. |
calyx 4(or 5)-lobed, lobes 2–3.5(–4) mm, apex obtuse, glandular- and eglandular-hairy; corolla pale blue-lilac to pale pink, rarely white with pink veins, 6–8 mm diam.; stamens 2.8–3.4 mm; style 2.5–3(–4) mm. |
Capsules | slightly compressed in cross section, globular, (2.5–)3–3.5(–4) × 2.5–3.2(–4) mm, apex rounded or ± emarginate, glabrous or sparsely short glandular-hairy. |
compressed in cross section, triangulate-obdeltoid to obcordiform, 3–5 × 4–5 mm, apex rounded or truncate, rarely emarginate, glandular-hairy, rarely glabrous. |
Seeds | 40–77, yellow-brown, ellipsoid to subglobular, planoconvex, (0.3–)0.5–0.7 × 0.3–0.5 mm, 0.2–0.3 mm thick, smooth. |
9–24, brown to yellow, ellipsoid, ovoid, or obovoid, flat, 0.8–1.6 × (0.3–)0.6–1.2 mm, 0.2–0.3 mm thick, smooth. |
2n | = 36. |
= 18, 36 (Europe). |
Veronica anagallis-aquatica |
Veronica officinalis |
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Phenology | Flowering Mar–Sep(–Nov). | Flowering (Apr–)Jun–Jul(–Aug). |
Habitat | Stream margins, ditches, banks, springs, swamps, wet meadows. | Forests, meadows, pastures, scrub, ruderal places. |
Elevation | 0–4000 m. (0–13100 ft.) | 0–1600 m. (0–5200 ft.) |
Distribution |
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]
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CA; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; NC; ND; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; BC; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SPM; Greenland; Eurasia [Introduced in North America; introduced in s South America (Chile)]
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Discussion | 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.) |
Veronica ×tournefortii Villars [V. officinalis var. tournefortii (Villars) Dumortier] refers to the hybrid between V. officinalis and V. allionii Villars in Europe and is not applicable to any North American plant. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 313. | FNA vol. 17, p. 311. |
Parent taxa | Plantaginaceae > Veronica | Plantaginaceae > Veronica |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | V. anagallis-aquatica var. terrea, V. brittonii, V. comosa, V. glandifera, V. micromera | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 12. (1753) — (as anagall. s) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 11. (1753) |
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