Veronica filiformis |
Veronica americana |
|
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creeping speedwell, slender speedwell, thread-stalk speedwell, véronique filiforme |
American brooklime, American speedwell, véronique d'amérique |
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Habit | Perennials. | Perennials. |
Stems | creeping, 5–50 cm, eglandular- and glandular-hairy. |
decumbent or ascending, 5–50 cm, glabrous. |
Leaves | blade suborbiculate, 4–13 × 4–14 mm, base cordate, margins crenate-serrate, teeth (2 or)3–5(or 6) per side, apex rounded, surfaces sparsely eglandular- and/or glandular-hairy. |
petiole 2–6(–10) mm; blade ovate to lanceolate, widest proximal to middle, (5–)30–50(–100) × (3–)7–20(–30) mm, 2–4 times as long as wide, base truncate, rounded or almost cordate, abruptly turning into petioles, margins entire or serrate, apex obtuse-orbicular or acute, surfaces glabrous. |
Racemes | 1–6, terminal, 50–500 mm, 10–20-flowered, axis sparsely eglandular- and/or glandular-hairy; bracts suborbiculate, 4–13 mm. |
1–8, axillary, 30–100 mm, (3–)10–30-flowered, axis glabrous; bracts lanceolate, 3–6 mm. |
Pedicels | patent or recurved, (15–)20–30 mm, length 2–5 times subtending bract, eglandular- and glandular-hairy. |
patent, 3–10(–12) mm, equal to ± longer than subtending bract, glabrous. |
Flowers | calyx lobes 4–7 mm, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, apex rounded, sparsely glandular-hairy to glabrate; corolla blue-violet to pale blue and white, 8–14 mm diam.; stamens 2.1–2.5 mm; style 3–4 mm. |
calyx lobes 2–5(–6) mm, apex acute, glabrous; corolla pink or sky blue, 4–10 mm diam.; stamens 2–4 mm; style (1.7–)2.5–3.5(–4) mm. |
Capsules | compressed in cross section, subglobular, 3.5–5 × 5.5–6.5 mm, apex emarginate, sinus angle 50–90°, absent or almost smooth, glabrous or glandular-ciliate. |
slightly compressed in cross section, globular, 2–4 × 3–5 mm, apex not or ± emarginate, glabrous. |
Seeds | (2–)6–14(–18), ochre, ovoid, flat to ± excavate, 1.3–1.7 × 1–1.3 mm, 0.6–0.8 mm thick, rugose to rugulose. |
20–30, brownish, ellipsoid to ovoid, indistinct-compressed or planoconvex, 0.5–0.7 × 0.3–0.6 mm, thickness varies due to compression in capsule, indistinctly wrinkled or ± rugose. |
2n | = 14 (Europe). |
= 36. |
Veronica filiformis |
Veronica americana |
|
Phenology | Flowering (Mar–)Apr–Jun(–Aug). | Flowering May–Aug. |
Habitat | Moist lawns and meadows, waste fields, stream banks. | Slowly flowing waters, banks, sand bars, gravel flood plains, moist soils, springs, ditches, swamps, marshes. |
Elevation | 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) | 0–3600 m. (0–11800 ft.) |
Distribution |
CA; CT; DC; DE; ID; MD; MI; NY; OH; OR; PA; VT; WA; WV; BC; ON; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
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AK; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DE; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Mexico; Asia (Japan, Russia)
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Discussion | Veronica filiformis is self-incompatible. In the flora area, plants seldom produce capsules; it is dispersed by stem cuttings. The species is native to subalpine meadows in the Caucasus and northern Turkey. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Although difficult to separate, Veronica beccabunga and V. americana are maintained as species here. Evidence suggesting separate species status is different ploidy level (the tetraploid level is rare in V. beccabunga) and the occurrence of V. americana in more natural habitats. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 320. | FNA vol. 17, p. 313. |
Parent taxa | Plantaginaceae > Veronica | Plantaginaceae > Veronica |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | V. beccabunga var. americana | |
Name authority | Smith: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 1: 195. (1791) | Schweinitz ex Bentham: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 10: 468. (1846) |
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