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

large-flower speedwell

Habit Perennials. Perennials.
Stems

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

prostrate to erect, unbranched, (3–)5–15(–20) cm, viscid-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 elliptic-ovate, 20–45 × 15–30 mm, 1–3 times as long as wide, base cuneate, margins ± crenate-serrate, apex acute to rounded, abaxial surface with articulate hairs or glabrous, adaxial hirsute, or surfaces sparsely ciliate only.

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.

1–4, axillary, 50–150 mm, 3–8-flowered, axis viscid-hairy;

bracts oblong, 3–5 mm.

Pedicels

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

suberect, 8–10 mm, longer than subtending bract, viscid-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 4 mm, apex obtuse, hairy;

corolla bright blue to violet-blue, 8–9 mm diam.;

stamens 7 mm;

style 7–9 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, 9–11 × 7–8 mm, apex emarginate, sparsely hairy.

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.

unknown.

2n

= 18, 36 (Europe).

= ca. 48–50 (Russia).

Veronica officinalis

Veronica grandiflora

Phenology Flowering (Apr–)Jun–Jul(–Aug). Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Forests, meadows, pastures, scrub, ruderal places. Meadows, between stones, slopes, alpine slopes.
Elevation 0–1600 m. (0–5200 ft.) 0–600 m. (0–2000 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
AK; Asia (Japan, Russia)
[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. 311.
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. 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. 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. aphylla var. grandiflora, V. grandiflora var. minor
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 11. (1753) Gaertner: Novi Comment. Acad. Sci. Imp. Petrop. 14(1): 531, plate 18, fig. 1. (1770)
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