Veronica polita |
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gray field speedwell, gray speedwell |
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Habit | Annuals. |
Stems | creeping to decumbent, 5–20(–40) cm, eglandular-hairy. |
Leaves | blade suborbiculate to ovate, rarely oblong-ovate, (3–)6–11(–14) × (3–)4–9(–10) mm, base truncate, margins serrate to dentate, teeth 2–4 per side, apices usually rounded, apex acute to obtuse, abaxial surface densely hairy, adaxial sparsely hairy to glabrate. |
Racemes | 1–4, terminal, 50–200(–400) mm, 5–20-flowered, axis sparsely to densely hairy or glabrate; bracts suborbiculate to ovate, (3–)6–11(–14) mm. |
Pedicels | usually semicircularly recurved, (3–)6–13(–15) mm, 0.5–1.5 times subtending bract, densely eglandular-hairy. |
Flowers | calyx lobes broadly ovate, (3–)4–6(–7) mm, 2.6–3.8 mm wide, apex acute, eglandular-hairy, rarely glandular-hairy; corolla intense dark to bright blue, rarely pale lilac or white, with darker nerves, abaxial 1/2 often brighter to whitish, (3–)4–7(–8) mm diam.; stamens 0.5 mm; style (0.5–)1–1.6(–1.8) mm. |
Capsules | ± round in cross section, obcordiform, (2.5–)3–4(–4.5) × (3.5–)4–6(–6.3) mm, apex emarginate, sinus angle 20–60(–80)°, densely eglandular-hairy, sometimes also glandular-puberulent, rarely glabrous. |
Seeds | (7–)16–24(–30), pale yellow, ellipsoid to ovoid, deeply cymbiform, 0.9–1.6 × (0.5–)0.8–1.3 mm, 0.4–0.8 mm thick, rugose-cristate. |
2n | = 14 (Eurasia). |
Veronica polita |
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Phenology | Flowering (Feb–)Mar–Jun(–Jul). |
Habitat | Fields, ruderal places, calcareous soils, lawns. |
Elevation | 0–600 m. (0–2000 ft.) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; AZ; CO; CT; DC; FL; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; NC; NE; NY; OH; OK; PA; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; MB; NB; ON; Eurasia; nw Africa (Algeria, Morocco) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, s South America]
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Discussion | Plants of Veronica polita are similar to those of the more frequent V. persica and are probably frequently overlooked. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 319. |
Parent taxa | Plantaginaceae > Veronica |
Sibling taxa | |
Name authority | Fries: Novit. Fl. Svec., 63. (1819) |
Web links |
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