Veronica cymbalaria |
Veronica spicata |
|
---|---|---|
glandular speedwell, pale speedwell |
spike speedwell, véronique en épi |
|
Habit | Annuals. | Perennials. |
Stems | decumbent to ascending, (5–)10–30 cm, sparsely subvillous to glabrate. |
ascending, usually with 4–10 nodes, 5–45(–60) cm, proximally eglandular- or glandular-hairy, sometimes glabrous, distally eglandular- and, usually, glandular-hairy. |
Leaves | blade suborbiculate, 6–20 × 9–20 mm, base subcordate, truncate, or cuneate, margins 5–9-lobed 1/6–1/3 of width of blade, lateral lobes ± narrower, apex acute, surfaces eglandular-hairy, rarely also glandular-hairy or glabrate. |
blade ovate-oblong to narrowly oblong-lanceolate, (30–)40–70(–80) × 5–20 mm, base long-cuneate, margins shallowly crenate to shallowly serrate to subentire, apex obtuse to rounded, surfaces densely glandular- or eglandular-hairy, rarely glabrate. |
Racemes | 1–10, terminal, (50–)100–300 mm, 5–20-flowered, axis eglandular-hairy, rarely also glandular-hairy or glabrate; bracts suborbiculate, 6–20 mm, 5- to 9-lobed for 1/6–1/3 of width of leaf blade, lateral lobes ± narrower. |
1(–7), terminal, sometimes with lateral ones, (50–)70–130(–170) mm, (50–)100–300-flowered, axis eglandular- and glandular-hairy; bracts oblong to lanceolate, 3–5 mm. |
Pedicels | patent or recurved, 5–15(–30) mm, equal in flower to ± longer than subtending bract in fruit, eglandular- or glandular-pilose or glabrous. |
suberect to patent, 0.5–1(–2) mm, shorter than subtending bract, eglandular- and glandular-hairy. |
Flowers | calyx lobes erect-patent, (3–)4–5 mm, apex obtuse, abaxial surfaces eglandular- or glandular-hairy, rarely glabrous, not ciliate; corolla white, 6–12 mm diam.; stamens 1–2 mm; style 1–2 mm. |
calyx lobes 2–3 mm, ciliate, apex obtuse, glandular-hairy, rarely eglandular-hairy; corolla blue, campanulate, longer than wide, 5–6 mm diam., lobes 3–4.5 × 1.5–2 mm; stamens 5 mm; style 8 mm. |
Capsules | ± round in cross section, ovoid to ellipsoid, 2.5–3.5 × 3.5–4.5 mm, apex ± emarginate, eglandular- or glandular-pilose. |
± compressed in cross section, broadly ovoid, 2–3 × 2–3 mm, apex obtuse, densely glandular-puberulent. |
Seeds | 1–4, brownish orange, subglobular, urn-shaped (elaiosome inside), (2–)2.5–3.1 × (1.7–)2–2.5(–2.8) mm, 1.1–1.7 mm thick, cristate. |
3–40, light brown, ellipsoid, flat, 0.6–1.2 × 0.5–0.8 mm, 0.2–0.4 mm thick, smooth. |
2n | = 36, 54 (Eurasia). |
= 34, 68 (Europe). |
Veronica cymbalaria |
Veronica spicata |
|
Phenology | Flowering Mar–May(–Jun). | Flowering Jun–Sep. |
Habitat | Lawns. | Dry grasslands. |
Elevation | 20 m. (100 ft.) | 0–700 m. (0–2300 ft.) |
Distribution |
LA; Eurasia (Mediterranean) [Introduced in North America] |
CT; NH; NY; ON; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America] |
Discussion | The occurrence of Veronica cymbalaria in other states is possible. It has been reported from Maryland; a herbarium specimen could not be located. The report seems to be based on incorrect synonymy (C. Frye, pers. comm.). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Veronica spicata is widely distributed in horticulture and a multitude of cultivars is available. Some specimens may also be derived from a related species, V. barrelieri Schott ex Roemer & Schultes, differentiated from V. spicata by glabrous calyx lobes, and in its typical variety, by eglandular pubescence. Another closely related species, V. incana Linnaeus, has a dense white woolly indumentum and is native to northern Asia and eastern Europe; it has not escaped from cultivation in the flora area. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 317. | FNA vol. 17, p. 308. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Bodard: Mém. Véronique Cymb., 3. (1798) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 10. (1753) |
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