Veronica spicata |
Veronica stelleri |
|
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spike speedwell, véronique en épi |
Steller's speedwell |
|
Habit | Perennials. | Perennials. |
Stems | ascending, usually with 4–10 nodes, 5–45(–60) cm, proximally eglandular- or glandular-hairy, sometimes glabrous, distally eglandular- and, usually, glandular-hairy. |
erect to ascending, unbranched, (5–)10–20(–25) cm, eglandular-hairy. |
Leaves | blade ovate-oblong to narrowly oblong-lanceolate, (30–)40–70(–80) × 5–20 mm, base long-cuneate, margins shallowly crenate to shallowly serrate to subentire, apex obtuse to rounded, surfaces densely glandular- or eglandular-hairy, rarely glabrate. |
blade ovate, 15–30 × 10–20 mm, base rounded, margins dentate or serrate, apex subacute to subobtuse, surfaces eglandular-hairy. |
Racemes | 1(–7), terminal, sometimes with lateral ones, (50–)70–130(–170) mm, (50–)100–300-flowered, axis eglandular- and glandular-hairy; bracts oblong to lanceolate, 3–5 mm. |
1, terminal, 10–60 mm, to 100 mm in fruit, 5–15-flowered, axis hairy; bracts lanceolate, 2–5 mm. |
Pedicels | suberect to patent, 0.5–1(–2) mm, shorter than subtending bract, eglandular- and glandular-hairy. |
erect, 2–11 mm, equal to longer than subtending bract, crisp-hairy. |
Flowers | calyx lobes 2–3 mm, ciliate, apex obtuse, glandular-hairy, rarely eglandular-hairy; corolla blue, campanulate, longer than wide, 5–6 mm diam., lobes 3–4.5 × 1.5–2 mm; stamens 5 mm; style 8 mm. |
calyx lobes 4–5 mm, eglandular-ciliate, apex acuminate, glabrous or sparsely hairy; corolla pale blue or violet, rotate, 8–10 mm diam.; stamens 7 mm; style 3–6 mm. |
Capsules | ± compressed in cross section, broadly ovoid, 2–3 × 2–3 mm, apex obtuse, densely glandular-puberulent. |
compressed in cross section, oblong, 5–6(–8) × 3–4.5 mm, longer than wide, apex ± emarginate, glabrous proximally, hairy distally. |
Seeds | 3–40, light brown, ellipsoid, flat, 0.6–1.2 × 0.5–0.8 mm, 0.2–0.4 mm thick, smooth. |
number unknown, brown, ovoid, flat, 1–1.5 × 0.7–1.2 mm, thickness and texture unknown. |
2n | = 34, 68 (Europe). |
= 18 (Japan, Russia). |
Veronica spicata |
Veronica stelleri |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jun–Sep. | Flowering Jul–Sep. |
Habitat | Dry grasslands. | Dry to moderately moist slopes, meadows in alpine regions, moraines. |
Elevation | 0–700 m. (0–2300 ft.) | 0–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.) |
Distribution |
CT; NH; NY; ON; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America] |
AK; Asia (Japan, Korea, Russia) |
Discussion | Veronica spicata is widely distributed in horticulture and a multitude of cultivars is available. Some specimens may also be derived from a related species, V. barrelieri Schott ex Roemer & Schultes, differentiated from V. spicata by glabrous calyx lobes, and in its typical variety, by eglandular pubescence. Another closely related species, V. incana Linnaeus, has a dense white woolly indumentum and is native to northern Asia and eastern Europe; it has not escaped from cultivation in the flora area. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Veronica stelleri may be difficult to differentiate from 4b. V. wormskjoldii subsp. nutans where sympatric. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 308. | FNA vol. 17, p. 310. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | V. stelleri var. glabrescens, V. wormskjoldii var. stelleri | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 10. (1753) | Link: Jahrb. Gewächsk. 1(3): 40. (1820) |
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