Veronica peregrina |
Veronica agrestis |
Veronica alpina |
|
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neckweed, purslane speedwell, véronique voyageuse |
field speedwell, green field speedwell, green procumbent speedwell, véronique agreste |
alpine speedwell, véronique alpine |
|
Habit | Annuals. | Annuals. | Perennials. |
Stems | erect or ascending, (2.5–)4–25(–35) cm, glabrous or densely glandular-hairy. |
creeping to decumbent, 5–25 cm, hairy. |
ascending, often dark bluish distally, sparsely branched at base, 5–15(–25) cm, eglandular-hairy. |
Leaves | blade oblanceolate proximally, narrowly oblong distally, 5–28(–35) × 2–6(–10) mm, 3–10 times as long as wide, base cuneate, margins entire or dentate distally, apex acute, surfaces glabrous or densely glandular-hairy. |
blade elliptic-ovate to oblong, (6–)8–16(–19) × (3–)4–10(–13) mm, base truncate, margins serrate, teeth 4–6(–8) per side, apex obtuse to acute, abaxial surface ± more densely hairy than adaxial. |
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, terminal, sometimes 1 or 2 axillary, 20–200 mm, (2–)5–40-flowered, axis glabrous or densely glandular-hairy; bracts spatulate to linear-lanceolate, 3–22 mm. |
1–5, terminal, 50–250 mm, 5–15-flowered, axis eglandular-hairy, sometimes glandular-hairy; bracts elliptic-ovate to oblong, (6–)9–16(–19) 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, 0.2–1(–2) mm, much shorter than subtending bract, glabrous or densely glandular-hairy. |
deflexed, (5–)6–10(–15) mm, ± shorter than subtending bracts, densely eglandular- and, sometimes, glandular-hairy distally. |
ascending to erect, 1.5–2(–4) mm, shorter than subtending bract, eglandular-hairy. |
Flowers | calyx lobes (2–)3–6 mm, 0.9–2 mm wide, apex obtuse to acute, glabrous or densely glandular-hairy; corolla white or pale pink, 2–5 mm diam.; stamens 1 mm; style 0.1–0.5 mm. |
calyx lobes linear-lanceolate, (5–)6–7 mm, 2.2–2.6 mm wide, apex rounded, sparsely eglandular- or glandular-hairy; corolla white or pale pinkish or pale blue, 4–5(–6) mm diam.; stamens 0.5–1 mm; style (0.6–)0.9–1.1(–1.2) 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 | strongly compressed in cross section, obcordiform, 2.5–5 × 2.5–6 mm, apex ± emarginate, glabrous. |
± compressed in cross section, ± subglobular, 3.5–4.5(–4.7) × 4.5–6(–6.3) mm, apex emarginate, sparsely glandular-hairy. |
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 | 12–140, yellow or pale brown, oblong, flat, 0.6–1.6 × 0.4–0.9 mm, 0.1–0.2 mm thick, smooth. |
6–14, yellow to ochre, globular, cymbiform, 1.3–2.1 × 1–1.6 mm, 0.6–1.1 mm thick, strongly rugose (transversely ribbed). |
9–53, brown to yellow, ellipsoid-oblong, flat, 0.7–1.2 × 0.4–1 mm, 0.1 mm thick, smooth. |
2n | = 52. |
= 28 (Europe). |
= 18. |
Veronica peregrina |
Veronica agrestis |
Veronica alpina |
|
Phenology | Flowering (Feb–)Mar–Jun(–Nov). | Flowering May–Oct. | Flowering (Jun–)Jul–Aug. |
Habitat | Moist waste lands, gardens, roadsides, stream banks, pond shorelines, vernal pools, other cultivated land. | Light, noncalcareous, moist soils, gravelly soils. | Slopes, moist rocks, hillocks, moist alpine and subalpine meadows. |
Elevation | 0–700(–3000) m. [0–2300(–9800) ft.] | (0–)300–800 m. [(0–)1000–2600 ft.] | 0–1000 m. [0–3300 ft.] |
Distribution |
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; 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; Central America; South America; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, México, Sonora); Eurasia; Australia
|
DC; FL; IL; LA; MA; NY; PA; TX; VT; NF; NS; QC; Europe [Introduced in North America]
|
NU; QC; Greenland; Eurasia |
Discussion | Stem indument of Veronica peregrina has been used to distinguish var. xalapensis with a glandular-hairy stem (F. W. Pennell 1935), a variety that seems to be confined to drier places than the type variety. Variety laurentiana is also differentiated from var. peregrina in having a glandular-hairy stem, fleshier leaves, shorter stamens, smaller corollas, and slightly differently shaped capsules (Frère Marie-Victorin and J. Rousseau 1940). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Veronica agrestis is similar to the more frequent V. persica and probably frequently overlooked and to be expected elsewhere. However, it should be noted that it is less common than V. persica or V. polita and always in more humid habitats. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 314. | FNA vol. 17, p. 320. | FNA vol. 17, p. 309. |
Parent taxa | Plantaginaceae > Veronica | Plantaginaceae > Veronica | Plantaginaceae > Veronica |
Sibling taxa | |||
Synonyms | V. peregrina var. laurentiana, V. peregrina subsp. xalapensis, V. peregrina var. xalapensis, V. sherwoodii, V. xalapensis | V. alpina subsp. australis, V. alpina var. australis, V. pumila | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 14. (1753) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 13. (1753) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 11. (1753) |
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