Veronica biloba |
Veronica alpina |
|
---|---|---|
bilobed speedwell, twolobe speedwell |
alpine speedwell, véronique alpine |
|
Habit | Annuals. | Perennials. |
Stems | erect, (1–)2–10(–18) cm, eglandular-hairy. |
ascending, often dark bluish distally, sparsely branched at base, 5–15(–25) cm, eglandular-hairy. |
Leaves | blade ovate to lanceolate-ovate, (3–)4–12(–20) × (1–)2–6(–12) mm, base cuneate, margins remotely serrate, rarely dentate, apex acute, surfaces glabrate. |
blade ovate or oblong-elliptic, 7–30 × 4–20 mm, base cuneate, margins indistinctly dentate or entire, apex short-acuminate, abaxial surface glabrate, adaxial ± hairy. |
Racemes | 1–8, terminal, 20–80 mm, 5–15(–30)-flowered, axis eglandular- and glandular-hairy; bracts lanceolate, 6–9 mm, margins entire, apex acute. |
1, terminal, 5–20 mm, to 30 mm in fruit, (1–)3–20-flowered, axis eglandular-hairy; bracts oblanceolate, 4–5 mm. |
Pedicels | straight or scarcely deflexed, erect-spreading to horizontally spreading in fruit, (2–)3–8(–11) mm, shorter than subtending bract, eglandular-hairy, sometimes glandular-hairy, rarely glabrous. |
ascending to erect, 1.5–2(–4) mm, shorter than subtending bract, eglandular-hairy. |
Flowers | calyx lobes (3–)4–7(–9) mm, margins entire, apex acuminate-acute, pairs connate 0.5–1.5 mm, puberulent or glabrate; corolla pale to clear blue, 2–4 mm diam.; stamens 1–2 mm; style 0.4–0.8(–2) mm. |
calyx lobes 3–4 mm, ciliate, apex obtuse or acuminate, eglandular-hairy; corolla sky blue or blue-violet, sometimes white, rotate, 2.5–5.5 mm diam.; stamens 2–2.3 mm; style 0.5–1.5(–2) mm. |
Capsules | slightly compressed in cross section, obcordiform, (2.4–)2.8–4(–4.5) × (3–)3.5–5(–6) mm, apex emarginate, eglandular- and/or glandular-hairy, rarely glabrous. |
compressed in cross section, obovoid or oblong-obovoid, 4.5–7.5 × 3.5–5.5 mm, ca. as long as wide, apex shallowly emarginate, eglandular-hairy or glabrate. |
Seeds | (2–)4–6(–10), bright yellow, oblong, cymbiform, (1.4–)1.7–2(–2.2) × (0.7–)1–1.3 mm, 0.7 mm thick, smooth. |
9–53, brown to yellow, ellipsoid-oblong, flat, 0.7–1.2 × 0.4–1 mm, 0.1 mm thick, smooth. |
2n | = 28 (Asia). |
= 18. |
Veronica biloba |
Veronica alpina |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jul. | Flowering (Jun–)Jul–Aug. |
Habitat | Bare soils, open forests, scree, mountain and alpine meadows, humid places near streams, waste fields, ruins, calcareous and non-calcareous soils. | Slopes, moist rocks, hillocks, moist alpine and subalpine meadows. |
Elevation | (400–)1300–3000 m. ((1300–)4300–9800 ft.) | 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) |
Distribution |
MT; UT; BC; Asia [Introduced in North America]
|
NU; QC; Greenland; Eurasia |
Discussion | Most reports of Veronica biloba pertain to V. argute-serrata. There are gatherings from potentially mixed populations (for example, Mt. Baldy, British Columbia, Lomer 97-118, UBC). Studies on phenotypic plasticity in these two species are necessary to ascertain the diagnostic characters. Veronica intercedens Bornmüller, native to western Asia, was recently reported from Idaho. It is most similar to V. biloba, distinguished by a large calyx with broadly ovate lobes (3–5 mm versus 2–3.5 mm), the pairs joined by more than one half. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 321. | FNA vol. 17, p. 309. |
Parent taxa | Plantaginaceae > Veronica | Plantaginaceae > Veronica |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | V. alpina subsp. australis, V. alpina var. australis, V. pumila | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Mant. Pl. 2: 172. (1771) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 11. (1753) |
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