Veronica serpyllifolia |
Veronica filiformis |
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thyme-leaf speedwell |
creeping speedwell, slender speedwell, thread-stalk speedwell, véronique filiforme |
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Habit | Perennials. | Perennials. |
Stems | creeping to ascending, 5–40 cm, scattered eglandular hairs only, often also with glandular hairs, sometimes glabrate. |
creeping, 5–50 cm, eglandular- and glandular-hairy. |
Leaves | blade oblong-lanceolate to ovate, 8–25 × 5–13 mm, 1.5–2.5 times as long as wide, base cuneate, margins subentire or serrulate-crenate, apex rounded to short-acuminate, surfaces glabrate. |
blade suborbiculate, 4–13 × 4–14 mm, base cordate, margins crenate-serrate, teeth (2 or)3–5(or 6) per side, apex rounded, surfaces sparsely eglandular- and/or glandular-hairy. |
Racemes | 1, terminal, 50–100 mm, 10–30(–60)-flowered, axis eglandular- and glandular-hairy; bracts oblong, 4–7 mm. |
1–6, terminal, 50–500 mm, 10–20-flowered, axis sparsely eglandular- and/or glandular-hairy; bracts suborbiculate, 4–13 mm. |
Pedicels | erect, 2–5 mm, 4–6 mm in fruit, shorter than subtending bract in flower, eglandular- and, sometimes, glandular-hairy. |
patent or recurved, (15–)20–30 mm, length 2–5 times subtending bract, eglandular- and glandular-hairy. |
Flowers | calyx lobes 2–3 mm, apex acute, ciliate; corolla white, blue, or pink, with purple or dark blue veins (except on abaxial lobe), rotate, 5–8 mm diam.; stamens 2.5–3 mm; style 2–4 mm. |
calyx lobes 4–7 mm, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, apex rounded, sparsely glandular-hairy to glabrate; corolla blue-violet to pale blue and white, 8–14 mm diam.; stamens 2.1–2.5 mm; style 3–4 mm. |
Capsules | compressed in cross section, obcordiform, 2.5–3.5 × 4–5.5 mm, wider than long, apex acutely emarginate, glandular-ciliate, otherwise glabrate. |
compressed in cross section, subglobular, 3.5–5 × 5.5–6.5 mm, apex emarginate, sinus angle 50–90°, absent or almost smooth, glabrous or glandular-ciliate. |
Seeds | 50–72, brown, ellipsoid, flat, 0.6–1.1 × 0.4–1 mm, 0.2 mm thick, smooth. |
(2–)6–14(–18), ochre, ovoid, flat to ± excavate, 1.3–1.7 × 1–1.3 mm, 0.6–0.8 mm thick, rugose to rugulose. |
2n | = 14. |
= 14 (Europe). |
Veronica serpyllifolia |
Veronica filiformis |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Aug. | Flowering (Mar–)Apr–Jun(–Aug). |
Habitat | River banks, wet places, moist meadows, shady forests. | Moist lawns and meadows, waste fields, stream banks. |
Elevation | 0–3300 m. [0–10800 ft.] | 0–1000 m. [0–3300 ft.] |
Distribution |
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; ND; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; NB; NL; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; South America; Mexico (Baja California); Eurasia; Australia
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CA; CT; DC; DE; ID; MD; MI; NY; OH; OR; PA; VT; WA; WV; BC; ON; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
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Discussion | Alpine plants of Veronica serpyllifolia with bright blue, larger corollas, and smaller, hairier raceme axes have been treated at various ranks under the epithet humifusa. The characters are labile and show intergradations with the typical plants. Veronica serpyllifolia is widespread; it is not clear where it is native. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Veronica filiformis is self-incompatible. In the flora area, plants seldom produce capsules; it is dispersed by stem cuttings. The species is native to subalpine meadows in the Caucasus and northern Turkey. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 312. | FNA vol. 17, p. 320. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | V. humifusa, V. serpyllifolia var. decipiens, V. serpyllifolia subsp. humifusa, V. serpyllifolia var. humifusa, V. tenella | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 12. (1753) | Smith: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 1: 195. (1791) |
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