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thyme-leaf speedwell

long-leaf speedwell, véronique à longues feuilles

Habit Perennials. Perennials.
Stems

creeping to ascending, 5–40 cm, scattered eglandular hairs only, often also with glandular hairs, sometimes glabrate.

erect, usually with 10–20 nodes, (50–)70–120(–150) cm, proximal 1/2 glabrous, distal 1/2 eglandular-hairy with some glandular hairs intermixed.

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 narrowly ovate-lanceolate, almost linear, or narrowly ovate, (60–)80–120(–150) × 10–30(–35) mm, base cuneate, truncate, or cordate, margins serrate to biserrate, apex acute, surfaces sparsely or densely eglandular-hairy, rarely glabrous.

Racemes

1, terminal, 50–100 mm, 10–30(–60)-flowered, axis eglandular- and glandular-hairy;

bracts oblong, 4–7 mm.

1–7(–9), terminal and occasionally axillary, 100–200(–300) mm, 150–300-flowered, axis eglandular- and glandular-hairy;

bracts linear to subulate, 2–6 mm.

Pedicels

erect, 2–5 mm, 4–6 mm in fruit, shorter than subtending bract in flower, eglandular- and, sometimes, glandular-hairy.

erect, (1–)1.5–3(–5) mm, shorter than subtending bract, densely eglandular-hairy, sometimes also 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 2–2.5(–4) mm, apex acute, eglandular-hairy, sometimes glandular-hairy;

corolla blue, campanulate, longer than wide, 5–7 mm diam.;

stamens 5–6 mm;

style (5–)6–8(–10) 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, 2.5–3 × 2.5–3 mm, apex emarginate, glabrous.

Seeds

50–72, brown, ellipsoid, flat, 0.6–1.1 × 0.4–1 mm, 0.2 mm thick, smooth.

2–40, light brown, ellipsoid, flat, 0.7–1.2 × 0.5–0.8 mm, 0.2–0.3 mm thick, smooth.

2n

= 14.

= 34, 68 (Eurasia).

Veronica serpyllifolia

Veronica longifolia

Phenology Flowering Apr–Aug. Flowering Jun–Aug(–Sep).
Habitat River banks, wet places, moist meadows, shady forests. Moist (swampy) habitats, roadsides.
Elevation 0–3300 m. (0–10800 ft.) 0–800 m. (0–2600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
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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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CT; FL; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; VT; WA; WI; WV; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Eurasia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America, Pacific Islands (New Zealand)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Reports of Veronica bachofenii Heuffel, V. grandis Fischer ex Sprengel (= V. daurica Steven), or V. spuria Linnaeus, seem always to refer to garden varieties of V. longifolia. Garden varieties often differ from typical plants in having glandular hairs and broader leaves, which may indicate past hybridization with other species.

Subgenus Pseudolysimachium includes Veronica longifolia and V. spicata, which are naturalized in the flora area, but also other species and hybrids of these, which are commonly grown ornamentally and may escape from cultivation. All of these plants should easily key out with V. longifolia and V. spicata but differ in specifics of the species descriptions.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 312. FNA vol. 17, p. 308.
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. persica, V. polita, V. scutellata, 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. 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. humifusa, V. serpyllifolia var. decipiens, V. serpyllifolia subsp. humifusa, V. serpyllifolia var. humifusa, V. tenella V. maritima
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 12. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 10. (1753)
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