Veronica officinalis |
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common gypsyweed, common speedwell, heath speedwell, herbal speedwell, Paul's betony, véronique officinale |
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Habit | Perennials. |
Stems | creeping, decumbent to ascending distally, 10–40(–50) cm, densely eglandular-hairy, rarely glabrate or glabrous. |
Leaves | blade ovate, ovate-oblong, or obovate, (8–)20–35(–50) × (3–)10–20(–30) mm, 1.5–2 times as long as wide, base attenuate to cuneate or obtuse, margins dentate, denticulate, or serrulate, apex obtuse to rounded, surfaces sparsely to densely eglandular-hairy, rarely glabrate. |
Racemes | 1–4(–8), axillary, 40–60 mm, 10–35(–40)-flowered, axis densely to sparsely eglandular-hairy, sometimes also glandular-hairy, rarely glabrate; bracts linear-lanceolate or narrowly ovate, (1.5–)3–4(–5) mm. |
Pedicels | erect, (0.5–)1–2(–3) mm, shorter than subtending bract, densely eglandular-hairy, rarely glandular-hairy or glabrate. |
Flowers | calyx 4(or 5)-lobed, lobes 2–3.5(–4) mm, apex obtuse, glandular- and eglandular-hairy; corolla pale blue-lilac to pale pink, rarely white with pink veins, 6–8 mm diam.; stamens 2.8–3.4 mm; style 2.5–3(–4) mm. |
Capsules | compressed in cross section, triangulate-obdeltoid to obcordiform, 3–5 × 4–5 mm, apex rounded or truncate, rarely emarginate, glandular-hairy, rarely glabrous. |
Seeds | 9–24, brown to yellow, ellipsoid, ovoid, or obovoid, flat, 0.8–1.6 × (0.3–)0.6–1.2 mm, 0.2–0.3 mm thick, smooth. |
2n | = 18, 36 (Europe). |
Veronica officinalis |
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Phenology | Flowering (Apr–)Jun–Jul(–Aug). |
Habitat | Forests, meadows, pastures, scrub, ruderal places. |
Elevation | 0–1600 m. (0–5200 ft.) |
Distribution |
CA; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; NC; ND; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; BC; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SPM; Greenland; Eurasia [Introduced in North America; introduced in s South America (Chile)]
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Discussion | Veronica ×tournefortii Villars [V. officinalis var. tournefortii (Villars) Dumortier] refers to the hybrid between V. officinalis and V. allionii Villars in Europe and is not applicable to any North American plant. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 311. |
Parent taxa | Plantaginaceae > Veronica |
Sibling taxa | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 11. (1753) |
Web links |
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