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American brooklime, American speedwell, brooklime, European speedwell, véronique beccabunga

American brooklime, American speedwell, véronique d'amérique

Habit Perennials.
Stems

decumbent or ascending, 5–50 cm, glabrous.

Leaves

petiole 2–6(–10) mm;

blade ovate to lanceolate, widest proximal to middle, (5–)30–50(–100) × (3–)7–20(–30) mm, 2–4 times as long as wide, base truncate, rounded or almost cordate, abruptly turning into petioles, margins entire or serrate, apex obtuse-orbicular or acute, surfaces glabrous.

Racemes

1–8, axillary, 30–100 mm, (3–)10–30-flowered, axis glabrous;

bracts lanceolate, 3–6 mm.

Pedicels

patent, 3–10(–12) mm, equal to ± longer than subtending bract, glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes 2–5(–6) mm, apex acute, glabrous;

corolla pink or sky blue, 4–10 mm diam.;

stamens 2–4 mm;

style (1.7–)2.5–3.5(–4) mm.

Capsules

slightly compressed in cross section, globular, 2–4 × 3–5 mm, apex not or ± emarginate, glabrous.

Seeds

20–30, brownish, ellipsoid to ovoid, indistinct-compressed or planoconvex, 0.5–0.7 × 0.3–0.6 mm, thickness varies due to compression in capsule, indistinctly wrinkled or ± rugose.

2n

= 36.

Veronica beccabunga

Veronica americana

Phenology Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Slowly flowing waters, banks, sand bars, gravel flood plains, moist soils, springs, ditches, swamps, marshes.
Elevation 0–3600 m. (0–11800 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CT; IL; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; NJ; NV; NY; OH; PA; VA; WI; WV; BC; ON; QC; Eurasia; Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in s South America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DE; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Mexico; Asia (Japan, Russia)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 3 (1 in the flora).

Subspecies abscondita M. A. Fischer is found from eastern Turkey to western Iran, while the native range of subsp. muscosa (Korshinsky) Elenevsky extends from eastern Iran to southern China.

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

Although difficult to separate, Veronica beccabunga and V. americana are maintained as species here. Evidence suggesting separate species status is different ploidy level (the tetraploid level is rare in V. beccabunga) and the occurrence of V. americana in more natural habitats.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 312. FNA vol. 17, p. 313.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Veronica Plantaginaceae > Veronica
Sibling taxa
V. agrestis, V. alpina, V. americana, V. anagallis-aquatica, V. argute-serrata, V. arvensis, V. biloba, V. catenata, V. chamaedrys, V. copelandii, V. cusickii, V. cymbalaria, V. dillenii, V. filiformis, V. fruticans, V. grandiflora, V. hederifolia, V. longifolia, V. officinalis, V. peregrina, V. persica, V. polita, V. scutellata, V. serpyllifolia, V. spicata, V. stelleri, V. sublobata, V. teucrium, V. triloba, V. triphyllos, V. undulata, V. verna, V. wormskjoldii
V. agrestis, V. alpina, V. anagallis-aquatica, V. argute-serrata, V. arvensis, V. beccabunga, V. biloba, V. catenata, V. chamaedrys, V. copelandii, V. cusickii, V. cymbalaria, V. dillenii, V. filiformis, V. fruticans, V. grandiflora, V. hederifolia, V. longifolia, V. officinalis, V. peregrina, V. persica, V. polita, V. scutellata, V. serpyllifolia, V. spicata, V. stelleri, V. sublobata, V. teucrium, V. triloba, V. triphyllos, V. undulata, V. verna, V. wormskjoldii
Subordinate taxa
V. beccabunga subsp. beccabunga
Synonyms V. beccabunga var. americana
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 12. (1753) Schweinitz ex Bentham: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 10: 468. (1846)
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