Veronica serpyllifolia |
Veronica triphyllos |
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thyme-leaf speedwell |
finger speedwell, fingered speedwell |
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Habit | Perennials. | Annuals, sometimes biennials. |
Stems | creeping to ascending, 5–40 cm, scattered eglandular hairs only, often also with glandular hairs, sometimes glabrate. |
erect or ascending, often blue tinged, (3–)5–15(–20) cm, densely 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: proximal ovate to triangular, 5–7 × 3–6 mm, distal 8–18 × 8–18 mm, base rounded, margins (proximal) coarsely crenate or (distal) 3–5(–7)-palmatifid, apex obtuse, surfaces sparsely hairy, often glandular. |
Racemes | 1, terminal, 50–100 mm, 10–30(–60)-flowered, axis eglandular- and glandular-hairy; bracts oblong, 4–7 mm. |
1, terminal, sometimes also 1 or 2 axillary, 30–120(–150) mm, 6–15(–25)-flowered, axis densely eglandular- and glandular-hairy; proximal bracts 5-palmatifid, distal 3-fid, 4–18 mm. |
Pedicels | erect, 2–5 mm, 4–6 mm in fruit, shorter than subtending bract in flower, eglandular- and, sometimes, glandular-hairy. |
patent or arcuate-ascending, 4–11(–20) mm, ± equal to subtending bract, length 1–2 times calyx, densely 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 4–6(–11) mm, apex obtuse, glandular-hairy; corolla deep blue, 5–10 mm diam.; stamens 0.9–1.7 mm; style (0.5–)0.7–1.5(–2) 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. |
± inflated basally, compressed distally in cross section, obcordiform, 4–5(–10) × 4.5–6.5(–8) mm, apex emarginate, glandular-hairy. |
Seeds | 50–72, brown, ellipsoid, flat, 0.6–1.1 × 0.4–1 mm, 0.2 mm thick, smooth. |
14–22(–35), dark brown or blackish, subglobular, cymbiform, 1–2.2 × 0.7–2 mm, 0.4–0.9 mm thick, ± rugulose to cristate. |
2n | = 14. |
= 14 (Eurasia). |
Veronica serpyllifolia |
Veronica triphyllos |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Aug. | Flowering (Feb–)Mar–May(–Jul). |
Habitat | River banks, wet places, moist meadows, shady forests. | Pine forests, stony pastures, rocky banks, sandy fields, gardens, roadsides, rarely calcareous soils. |
Elevation | 0–3300 m. (0–10800 ft.) | 100–1000 m. (300–3300 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; ID; KS; MO; OK; OR; WA; Eurasia [Introduced in North America] |
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. 315. |
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) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 14. (1753) |
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