Veronica biloba |
Veronica teucrium |
|
---|---|---|
bilobed speedwell, twolobe speedwell |
large speedwell |
|
Habit | Annuals. | Perennials. |
Stems | erect, (1–)2–10(–18) cm, eglandular-hairy. |
erect, rarely ascending, (15–)30–70(–100) cm, eglandular-hairy, hairs evenly distributed around stem. |
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-ovate, rarely lanceolate, (20–)30–55(–70) × (6–)15–25(–45) mm, 2–3(–4) times as long as wide, base ± cordate, margins dentate to serrate to crenate-incised, rarely subentire, apex acute, abaxial surface hairy, adaxial glabrous. |
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. |
2–4(–8), axillary, 60–150 mm, 50–150-flowered, axis hairy; bracts linear-lanceolate to linear, 4–8(–14) 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. |
erect, 3–7(–14) mm, equal to 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 5-lobed, abaxial lobes 3–4 mm, adaxial 1–1.5 mm, apex acute, glabrous or hairy; corolla bright blue, rarely pinkish or white, (9–)12–18 mm diam.; stamens 4.5–6 mm; style 5–6 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 to ± round in cross section, broadly obovoid or obcordiform, (3–)4–5.5 × (2.5–)3.5–5 mm, apex not deeply, narrowly emarginate, glabrous or sparsely hairy. |
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. |
(2–)8–18, brown, widely ellipsoid to widely obovoid, flat, 1.2–2.1 × 1–1.5 mm, 0.2–0.4 mm thick, smooth. |
2n | = 28 (Asia). |
= 48, 64 (Europe). |
Veronica biloba |
Veronica teucrium |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jul. | Flowering May–Jul. |
Habitat | Bare soils, open forests, scree, mountain and alpine meadows, humid places near streams, waste fields, ruins, calcareous and non-calcareous soils. | Dry meadows, forest edges, scrub, calcareous soils. |
Elevation | (400–)1300–3000 m. ((1300–)4300–9800 ft.) | 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) |
Distribution |
MT; UT; BC; Asia [Introduced in North America]
|
CT; DC; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SD; VT; WI; NF; ON; QC; Europe [Introduced in North America] |
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.) |
Veronica teucrium has often been considered an infraspecific taxon of V. austriaca; many records of V. teucrium have been reported under the name V. austriaca. The occurrence of V. austriaca in the narrow sense in the flora area could be neither supported nor excluded; it differs from V. teucrium mainly in distal leaves of the vegetative shoot linear and entire. Related species have been introduced for horticultural reasons but apparently have not escaped. Veronica satureiifolia Poiteau & Turpin was reported from Missouri by G. Yatskievych [1999–2013; as V. scheereri (J.-P. Brandt) Holub] outside cultivation based on a single specimen and was similarly found in MIN but likely not naturalized. The name V. latifolia Linnaeus, which has at times been used for V. teucrium, is now considered ambiguous and should not be used (R. K. Brummitt 2007). Reports of V. teucrium in Saskatchewan have not been verified. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 321. | FNA vol. 17, p. 322. |
Parent taxa | Plantaginaceae > Veronica | Plantaginaceae > Veronica |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | V. austriaca subsp. teucrium, V. austriaca var. teucrium | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Mant. Pl. 2: 172. (1771) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 1: 16. (1762) |
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