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bird's-eye speedwell, bird-eye speedwell, large field or bird's-eye speedwell, Persian speedwell, véronique de perse

bilobed speedwell, twolobe speedwell

Habit Annuals. Annuals.
Stems

creeping to decumbent, 10–50(–60) cm, eglandular-hairy.

erect, (1–)2–10(–18) cm, eglandular-hairy.

Leaves

blade suborbiculate, broadly ovate, or broadly lanceolate, (6–)9–18(–30) × (5–)8–15(–20) mm, base truncate, margins serrate, apex acute, surfaces sparsely eglandular-hairy.

blade ovate to lanceolate-ovate, (3–)4–12(–20) × (1–)2–6(–12) mm, base cuneate, margins remotely serrate, rarely dentate, apex acute, surfaces glabrate.

Racemes

1–6, terminal, 100–500(–600) mm, 5–30-flowered, axis eglandular-hairy;

bracts suborbiculate or broadly ovate or broadly lanceolate, (6–)9–18(–25) mm.

1–8, terminal, 20–80 mm, 5–15(–30)-flowered, axis eglandular- and glandular-hairy;

bracts lanceolate, 6–9 mm, margins entire, apex acute.

Pedicels

spreading, deflexed in fruit, (12–)15–27(–38) mm, length 1–2(–3) times subtending bract, densely eglandular-hairy.

straight or scarcely deflexed, erect-spreading to horizontally spreading in fruit, (2–)3–8(–11) mm, shorter than subtending bract, eglandular-hairy, sometimes glandular-hairy, rarely glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes (4.5–)5.5–8(–9.5) mm, (1.7–)2.4–3.6(–4.2) mm wide, apex acuminate, eglandular-hairy;

corolla intense bright blue, 8–14 mm diam.;

stamens 1.2 mm;

style (1.5–)2–2.8(–3.2) mm.

calyx lobes (3–)4–7(–9) mm, margins entire, apex acuminate-acute, pairs connate 0.5–1.5 mm, puberulent or glabrate;

corolla pale to clear blue, 2–4 mm diam.;

stamens 1–2 mm;

style 0.4–0.8(–2) mm.

Capsules

compressed in cross section, broadly obcordiform, 4–6 × (5–)6–8.5(–9.5) mm, apex acute, sinus angle (80–)90–120(–150)°, reticulate with prominent veins, ± sparsely to densely eglandular- and/or glandular-hairy or glabrate.

slightly compressed in cross section, obcordiform, (2.4–)2.8–4(–4.5) × (3–)3.5–5(–6) mm, apex emarginate, eglandular- and/or glandular-hairy, rarely glabrous.

Seeds

(10–)12–18(–20), pale brownish yellow, ellipsoid to globular, cymbiform, (1.3–)1.4–2.3(–2.5) × (0.8–)0.9–1.6(–1.9) mm, 0.5–1 mm thick, cristate-rugose.

(2–)4–6(–10), bright yellow, oblong, cymbiform, (1.4–)1.7–2(–2.2) × (0.7–)1–1.3 mm, 0.7 mm thick, smooth.

2n

= 28.

= 28 (Asia).

Veronica persica

Veronica biloba

Phenology Flowering (Jan–)Apr–Jul(–Dec). Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Roadsides, lawns, fields, waste places. Bare soils, open forests, scree, mountain and alpine meadows, humid places near streams, waste fields, ruins, calcareous and non-calcareous soils.
Elevation 0–500(–2000) m. (0–1600(–6600) ft.) (400–)1300–3000 m. ((1300–)4300–9800 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
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; 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; sw Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico (Michoacán, Veracruz), Central America, South America, Eurasia, e Asia, Africa, Atlantic Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
MT; UT; BC; Asia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The names Veronica buxbaumii Tenore and V. tournefortii C. C. Gmelin (not V. ×tournefortii Villars) have been used for V. persica.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Most reports of Veronica biloba pertain to V. argute-serrata. There are gatherings from potentially mixed populations (for example, Mt. Baldy, British Columbia, Lomer 97-118, UBC). Studies on phenotypic plasticity in these two species are necessary to ascertain the diagnostic characters.

Veronica intercedens Bornmüller, native to western Asia, was recently reported from Idaho. It is most similar to V. biloba, distinguished by a large calyx with broadly ovate lobes (3–5 mm versus 2–3.5 mm), the pairs joined by more than one half.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 319. FNA vol. 17, p. 321.
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. officinalis, V. peregrina, 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. 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. persica var. aschersoniana, V. persica var. corrensiana, V. tournefortii subsp. aschersoniana, V. tournefortii subsp. corrensiana
Name authority Poiret: in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 8: 542. (1808) Linnaeus: Mant. Pl. 2: 172. (1771)
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