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

grass-leaf speedwell, marsh speedwell, narrow-leaf speedwell, skullcap speedwell, véronique en écusson

Habit Perennials.
Stems

ascending, (5–)15–45(–80) cm, glabrous, sometimes sparsely eglandular-hairy distally.

Leaves

petiole 0 mm;

blade narrowly lanceolate or linear, rarely elliptic, (10–)30–50(–80) × (2–)3–7(–14) mm, 6–10 times as long as wide, base cuneate, margins remote- and fine-dentate, apex acute, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial glabrous or sparsely eglandular-hairy.

Racemes

1–5(–10), axillary, 40–90(–150) mm, (2–)5–20-flowered, axis glabrous, sometimes sparsely eglandular-hairy;

bracts lanceolate, 1.5–3 mm.

Pedicels

patent or ± curled, (6–)10–15(–17) mm, longer than subtending bracts, glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes (1–)2–3 mm, apex obtuse to acute, glabrate;

corolla pale lilac, pale sky blue, or whitish, with pink or dark blue narrow stripes, 2.5–7 mm diam.;

stamens 4–5 mm;

style (1–)2–4 mm.

Capsules

compressed in cross section, ovoid or reniform, 2.5–5 × (3–)4–6 mm, apex emarginate by 1/3 length, glabrous.

Seeds

5–20, pale brownish, globular or ovoid, flat, 1.2–1.9 × 1–1.5 mm, 0.2 mm thick, smooth.

2n

= 18.

Veronica beccabunga

Veronica scutellata

Phenology Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Moist meadows, marshes, shallows, forests, steppes, fens, stream banks, lakeshores.
Elevation 0–1800(–2400) m. (0–5900(–7900) 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; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; IA; ID; IL; IN; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; NC; ND; NH; NJ; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; SPM; Eurasia; Africa (Algeria) [Introduced in s South America (Argentina)]
[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.)

Alpine dwarf forms of Veronica scutellata tend to have relatively broad leaves and may therefore be easily confused with other species.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 312. FNA vol. 17, p. 311.
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. americana, 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. 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. connata, V. scutellata var. villosa
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 12. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 12. (1753)
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