Veronica serpyllifolia |
Veronica undulata |
|
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thyme-leaf speedwell |
undulate speedwell, wavy-leaf water speedwell |
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Habit | Perennials. | Annuals or perennials. |
Stems | creeping to ascending, 5–40 cm, scattered eglandular hairs only, often also with glandular hairs, sometimes glabrate. |
erect or prostrate basally, 10–100 cm, glabrous at least proximally, glandular-hairy distally. |
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. |
petiole 0–5 mm; blade elliptic to ovate, sometimes ovate-oblong or linear-lanceolate, rarely lanceolate, 20–50(–100) × 5–20(–25) mm, 2.5–4 times as long as wide, base attenuate, upwards amplexicaul, margins subentire or crenate to serrate or ± undulate, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces glabrous. |
Racemes | 1, terminal, 50–100 mm, 10–30(–60)-flowered, axis eglandular- and glandular-hairy; bracts oblong, 4–7 mm. |
6–25, axillary, 50–220 mm, 10–15 mm diam., 10–100-flowered, axis sparsely glandular-hairy, rarely glabrous; pedicels 2–6 per cm; bracts linear to lanceolate, 3–6 mm, apex acute. |
Pedicels | erect, 2–5 mm, 4–6 mm in fruit, shorter than subtending bract in flower, eglandular- and, sometimes, glandular-hairy. |
patent, 3–5 mm, equal to subtending bract, sparsely 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 1.5–2(–3) mm, apex acute, sparsely glandular-hairy, rarely glabrous; corolla pale blue or pale lilac, rarely white, 2.5–5 mm diam.; stamens 2 mm; style 0.9–2 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. |
slightly compressed in cross section, obcordiform to globular, 2–3 × 2–3 mm, apex rounded or ± emarginate, sparsely glandular-hairy. |
Seeds | 50–72, brown, ellipsoid, flat, 0.6–1.1 × 0.4–1 mm, 0.2 mm thick, smooth. |
30–40, ochre, broadly ellipsoid, ± flat, convex on both sides, 0.5–0.6 × 0.4–0.5 mm, thickness and texture unknown. |
2n | = 14. |
= 54 (Asia). |
Veronica serpyllifolia |
Veronica undulata |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–Aug. | Flowering (Mar–)Apr–Sep. |
Habitat | River banks, wet places, moist meadows, shady forests. | Disturbed, wet places, ditches, or swamps. |
Elevation | 0–3300 m. (0–10800 ft.) | 0–200 m. (0–700 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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AL; OR; WA; Asia [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.) |
In the flora area, Veronica undulata was introduced near ports (Mobile, Alabama, and Portland, Oregon) before 1900 via ship ballast from trade with Asia, did not spread much, and may not have persisted. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 312. | FNA vol. 17, p. 314. |
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) | Wallich: in W. Roxburgh, Fl. Ind. 1: 147. (1820) |
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