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Cusick's speedwell

blue speedwell, blue water speedwell, brook pimpernel, véronique mouron-d'eau, water pimpernel, water speedwell

Habit Perennials. Annuals or perennials.
Stems

erect, unbranched or sparsely branched at base, (5–)10–15(–30) cm, finely glandular-hairy.

erect or prostrate basally, (20–)30–100(–170) cm, usually thick-fleshy, glabrous.

Leaves

blade elliptic-ovate, (5–)10–25 × 5–10 mm, base cuneate, margins entire or subentire, apex short-acuminate, surfaces glabrous or glabrate.

petiole 0–2(–8) mm (basal lateral branches usually distinctly petiolate to 8 mm) proximally, 0 mm distally;

blade (of proximal leaves) ovate, elliptic, or oblong, (15–)30–80(–145) × (7–)10–30(–45) mm, 1.5–3 times as long as wide, base obtuse proximally to cordate-amplexicaul in middle and ± cuneate distally, margins ± serrulate or denticulate, apex acute, surfaces glabrous, rarely glandular-hairy.

Racemes

1, terminal, (15–)40–80(–130) mm, (4–)8–30(–40)-flowered, axis finely glandular-hairy;

bracts lanceolate, 3–7(–11) mm.

6–25, axillary, 50–100(–150) mm, 5–10 mm diam., (20–)30–40(–60)-flowered, axis glabrous, rarely glandular-hairy;

bracts linear to lanceolate, 2–5 mm, apex acute.

Pedicels

erect, 3–9 mm, equal to or ± longer than subtending bract, finely glandular-hairy.

suberect or arcuate-erect to subpatent, curved upwards in fruit, 3–7(–10) mm, longer than subtending bracts, glabrous or hairy.

Flowers

calyx lobes 2–3 mm, apex acute to obtuse, finely glandular-hairy;

corolla deep blue-violet, rarely white, rotate, (8–)10–13 mm diam.;

stamens 4–8 mm;

style (5–)6–9(–10) mm, conspicuously exerted.

calyx lobes 2–3 mm, apex acute, glabrous, rarely hairy;

corolla lavender to pale blue, rarely pale lilac, (4–)6–8 mm diam.;

stamens 3–3.5 mm;

style 1.5–2.5 mm.

Capsules

compressed in cross section, oblong-obovoid, 4–6 × 3.5–5.5 mm, ca. as long as wide, apex emarginate, finely glandular-hairy.

slightly compressed in cross section, globular, (2.5–)3–3.5(–4) × 2.5–3.2(–4) mm, apex rounded or ± emarginate, glabrous or sparsely short glandular-hairy.

Seeds

28–32, straw colored or dark brown, ovoid, flat, 0.6 × 0.4 mm, 0.1 mm thick, rough.

40–77, yellow-brown, ellipsoid to subglobular, planoconvex, (0.3–)0.5–0.7 × 0.3–0.5 mm, 0.2–0.3 mm thick, smooth.

2n

= 18, 72.

= 36.

Veronica cusickii

Veronica anagallis-aquatica

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug. Flowering Mar–Sep(–Nov).
Habitat Gravelly soils, openings in coniferous forests and in subalpine and alpine meadows. Stream margins, ditches, banks, springs, swamps, wet meadows.
Elevation 1500–3200 m. (4900–10500 ft.) 0–4000 m. (0–13100 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; BC
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; ME; MI; MO; MT; NC; ND; NE; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; ON; Eurasia; Africa; Atlantic Islands [Introduced in North America; likely introduced also in Mexico, Central America, South America]
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Veronica cusickii is sister to V. copelandii and closely related to V. wormskjoldii subsp. nutans (D. C. Albach et al. 2006).

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

Veronica anagallis-aquatica is widespread. It is not clear whether it is native to the flora area; it is certainly introduced in some states and commonly dispersed by human activity. The species varies with water availability. It is frequently confused with V. catenata. Ecological differences (see discussion under 15. V. catenata) may suggest that V. anagallis-aquatica does not occur in most parts of Canada and Alaska from which the species is reported but is present in some states excluded from the distribution area due to the lack of herbarium specimens seen (for example, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Vermont). Hybrids are frequent in Europe (V. ×lackschewitzkii J. Keller) and have been reported for California and Nebraska (L. R. Heckard and P. Rubtzoff 1977). The sterile hybrids never form capsules and bear relatively long inflorescences. Another closely related species, V. anagalloides Gussone (= V. salina Schur), is not present in North America.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 310. 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. beccabunga, V. biloba, V. catenata, V. chamaedrys, V. copelandii, 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. 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
Synonyms V. allenii V. anagallis-aquatica var. terrea, V. brittonii, V. comosa, V. glandifera, V. micromera
Name authority A. Gray: in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 2(1): 288. (1878) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 12. (1753) — (as anagall. s)
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