Veronica serpyllifolia |
Veronica fruticans |
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thyme-leaf speedwell |
rock speedwell, woodystem speedwell |
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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. |
ascending to erect, densely branched from woody base, (5–)10–15(–30) cm, eglandular-hairy, sometimes 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 obovate to ovate or spatulate, sometimes suborbiculate proximally, (7–)8–20(–25) × (2–)3–6(–7) mm, mostly shorter to equal to internodes, base cuneate, margins entire or ± crenate or serrate, apex acute, surfaces glabrous or glabrate. |
Racemes | 1, terminal, 50–100 mm, 10–30(–60)-flowered, axis eglandular- and glandular-hairy; bracts oblong, 4–7 mm. |
1–10(–20), terminal, rarely with 1–4 axillary, 20–40 mm, (1–)4–10(–18)-flowered, axis glabrate to sparsely eglandular-hairy; bracts linear or linear-lanceolate or long-ovate, (1–)3.5–9(–15) mm. |
Pedicels | erect, 2–5 mm, 4–6 mm in fruit, shorter than subtending bract in flower, eglandular- and, sometimes, glandular-hairy. |
erect, (2–)5–7(–15) mm, equal to ± longer than subtending bracts, eglandular-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 4(or 5)-lobed, lobes (2.5–)4.5–6(–8) mm, apex obtuse, eglandular-hairy, sometimes also glandular-hairy; corolla intense blue, sometimes with reddish or white center, rarely white, rotate, (6–)10–14(–15) mm diam.; stamens 5–7 mm; style (3–)5–7(–8.5) 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, ovoid, (5–)6–8(–9) × (3–)4–4.5(–5.5) mm, longer than wide, apex attenuate to apiculate and acute, rarely rounded, not emarginate, eglandular-hairy, sometimes mixed with larger glandular hairs. |
Seeds | 50–72, brown, ellipsoid, flat, 0.6–1.1 × 0.4–1 mm, 0.2 mm thick, smooth. |
35–62, orange, ellipsoid, flat, 0.9–1.5 × (0.4–)0.9–1.2 mm, 0.2–0.3 mm thick, smooth. |
2n | = 14. |
= 16. |
Veronica serpyllifolia |
Veronica fruticans |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–Aug. | Flowering (May–)Jun–Aug. |
Habitat | River banks, wet places, moist meadows, shady forests. | Fissures, rocky places, scree. |
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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Greenland |
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.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 312. | FNA vol. 17, p. 318. |
Parent taxa | Plantaginaceae > Veronica | Plantaginaceae > Veronica |
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) | Jacquin: Enum. Stirp. Vindob. 2: 200. (1762) |
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