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

false ivy-leaf speedwell

Habit Annuals.
Stems

decumbent to ascending, sometimes erect in young plants, 5–40(–50) cm, eglandular-hairy.

Leaves

blade ovate to broadly ovate, 5(–7)-lobed, central lobe longer than wide and broadest, (7–)9–15(–25) × (7–)9–17(–27) mm, base truncate, margins 5(–7)-lobed, apex obtuse to rounded, surfaces sparsely eglandular-hairy.

Racemes

1–10, terminal, 50–400(–500) mm, 5–20-flowered, axis eglandular-hairy;

bracts broadly ovate, 5(–7)-lobed, central lobe longer than wide and broadest, (7–)9–15(–25) mm.

Pedicels

patent or deflexed, (7–)10–18(–24) mm, ± longer than subtending bract, length 3–4(–6) times calyx, eglandular-hairy (densely adaxially).

Flowers

calyx lobes 3–4 mm, apex acute, sparsely hairy on abaxial surface or glabrous, ciliate with 25–35 hairs per side;

corolla pale violet to whitish, 4–5(–6) mm diam.;

stamens pale violet, 0.4–0.8 mm;

style 0.2–0.7 mm.

Capsules

± round in cross section, ovoid, 2–3 × 3.5–5 mm, apex ± emarginate, glabrate.

Seeds

1–4, bright reddish brown, broadly ovoid to subglobular, urn-shaped, 2.2–2.7 × 2–2.4 mm, 1–1.8 mm thick, transverse ribs inconspicuous, thinner towards margin, margins strongly involute.

2n

= 36 (Europe).

Veronica beccabunga

Veronica sublobata

Phenology Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Moist forests, damp, shady ruderal places, thickets, gardens, montane fields.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 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
AL; KY; MD; MO; OH; UT; VA; Europe [Introduced in North America]
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.)

Veronica sublobata is closely related to V. hederifolia and has been frequently synonymized with or treated as a subspecies of the latter. It has rarely been reported in the flora area and is surely more widespread than indicated above. It seems to be more rare than V. hederifolia with only about a dozen verified records from seven states. However, its frequent occurrence in cultivated habitats in Europe makes it likely that it has been introduced to the flora area on multiple occasions.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 312. FNA vol. 17, p. 315.
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. scutellata, V. serpyllifolia, V. spicata, V. stelleri, V. teucrium, V. triloba, V. triphyllos, V. undulata, V. verna, V. wormskjoldii
Subordinate taxa
V. beccabunga subsp. beccabunga
Synonyms V. hederifolia subsp. lucorum, V. hederifolia var. lucorum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 12. (1753) M. A. Fischer: Oesterr. Bot. Z. 114: 201, 227, figs. 3c, 4c. (1967)
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