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

trilobed speedwell

Habit Annuals. Annuals.
Stems

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

decumbent, (5–)10–30 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 broadly ovate to suborbiculate, 3(–5)-lobed, central lobe 1/4–1/2 times length of whole leaf, (3–)5–10(–15) × (4–)6–12(–18) mm, ± fleshy, base truncate to subcordate, margins 3(–5)-lobed, apex acute, surfaces sparsely eglandular-hairy.

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.

1–10, terminal, (50–)100–300 mm, 5–20-flowered, axis sparsely eglandular-hairy;

bracts broadly ovate to suborbiculate, 3(–5)-lobed, (3–)5–10(–15) mm.

Pedicels

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

patent, deflexed in fruit, (2–)4–8(–10) mm, shorter than subtending bract, length 1–2 times calyx, glabrous abaxially, hairy adaxially.

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 4–5(–6) mm, apex acute, puberulent on abaxial surface, rarely glabrous, densely ciliate with 35–60 per side;

corolla deep blue with white center, 3–5 mm diam.;

stamens dark blue, length unknown;

style 0.5–0.9(–1.1) 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.

± round in cross section, ovoid, 2.5–3(–3.5) × 4–5 mm, apex ± emarginate, 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.

(1–)4, dull yellowish brown, ellipsoid, often elongate-cuboidal, deeply urn-shaped (elaiosome inside), 2.2–2.8 × 1.5–2.2 mm, 1–1.4 mm thick, cristate to strongly rugose at margins.

2n

= 28.

= 18 (Eurasia).

Veronica persica

Veronica triloba

Phenology Flowering (Jan–)Apr–Jul(–Dec). Flowering (Feb–)Mar–May(–Jun).
Habitat Roadsides, lawns, fields, waste places. Disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–500(–2000) m. (0–1600(–6600) ft.) 100–200 m. (300–700 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
CA; OH; Europe (Balkans); Asia (Turkey) [Introduced in North America]
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.)

Veronica triloba is known in the flora area from three recent collections in California and Ohio; it is possibly more widespread than reported here. It is closely related to V. hederifolia.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 319. FNA vol. 17, p. 316.
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. 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. triphyllos, V. undulata, V. verna, V. wormskjoldii
Synonyms V. persica var. aschersoniana, V. persica var. corrensiana, V. tournefortii subsp. aschersoniana, V. tournefortii subsp. corrensiana V. hederifolia var. triloba
Name authority Poiret: in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 8: 542. (1808) (Opiz) Opiz: Naturalientausch 11: 467. (1826)
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