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common gypsyweed, common speedwell, heath speedwell, herbal speedwell, Paul's betony, véronique officinale

alpine speedwell, véronique alpine

Habit Perennials. Perennials.
Stems

creeping, decumbent to ascending distally, 10–40(–50) cm, densely eglandular-hairy, rarely glabrate or glabrous.

ascending, often dark bluish distally, sparsely branched at base, 5–15(–25) cm, eglandular-hairy.

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.

blade ovate or oblong-elliptic, 7–30 × 4–20 mm, base cuneate, margins indistinctly dentate or entire, apex short-acuminate, abaxial surface glabrate, adaxial ± hairy.

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.

1, terminal, 5–20 mm, to 30 mm in fruit, (1–)3–20-flowered, axis eglandular-hairy;

bracts oblanceolate, 4–5 mm.

Pedicels

erect, (0.5–)1–2(–3) mm, shorter than subtending bract, densely eglandular-hairy, rarely glandular-hairy or glabrate.

ascending to erect, 1.5–2(–4) mm, shorter than subtending bract, eglandular-hairy.

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.

calyx lobes 3–4 mm, ciliate, apex obtuse or acuminate, eglandular-hairy;

corolla sky blue or blue-violet, sometimes white, rotate, 2.5–5.5 mm diam.;

stamens 2–2.3 mm;

style 0.5–1.5(–2) 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.

compressed in cross section, obovoid or oblong-obovoid, 4.5–7.5 × 3.5–5.5 mm, ca. as long as wide, apex shallowly emarginate, eglandular-hairy or glabrate.

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.

9–53, brown to yellow, ellipsoid-oblong, flat, 0.7–1.2 × 0.4–1 mm, 0.1 mm thick, smooth.

2n

= 18, 36 (Europe).

= 18.

Veronica officinalis

Veronica alpina

Phenology Flowering (Apr–)Jun–Jul(–Aug). Flowering (Jun–)Jul–Aug.
Habitat Forests, meadows, pastures, scrub, ruderal places. Slopes, moist rocks, hillocks, moist alpine and subalpine meadows.
Elevation 0–1600 m. (0–5200 ft.) 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
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)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NU; QC; Greenland; Eurasia
[BONAP county map]
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. FNA vol. 17, p. 309.
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. cusickii, V. cymbalaria, V. dillenii, V. filiformis, V. fruticans, V. grandiflora, V. hederifolia, V. longifolia, 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. americana, V. anagallis-aquatica, 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. alpina subsp. australis, V. alpina var. australis, V. pumila
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 11. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 11. (1753)
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