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large speedwell

chain speedwell, pink water speedwell, sessile water-speedwell, water speedwell

Habit Perennials. Annuals or perennials.
Stems

erect, rarely ascending, (15–)30–70(–100) cm, eglandular-hairy, hairs evenly distributed around stem.

erect or ascending, 15–60(–80) cm, glabrous or glandular-hairy distally.

Leaves

blade ovate or oblong-ovate, rarely lanceolate, (20–)30–55(–70) × (6–)15–25(–45) mm, 2–3(–4) times as long as wide, base ± cordate, margins dentate to serrate to crenate-incised, rarely subentire, apex acute, abaxial surface hairy, adaxial glabrous.

petiole 0 mm;

blade oblong-ovate to oblong-lanceolate, (5–)25–50(–100) × 4–15(–30) mm, 2.5–5 times as long as wide, base amplexical-truncate or amplexical-subcordate, margins entire or subentire, apex acute, surfaces glabrous.

Racemes

2–4(–8), axillary, 60–150 mm, 50–150-flowered, axis hairy;

bracts linear-lanceolate to linear, 4–8(–14) mm.

10–25, axillary, 100–160 mm, 15–25-flowered, axis glabrous or glandular-hispid;

pedicels less than 3 per cm, glabrous or scarcely to densely short glandular-hairy, rarely completely glabrous;

bracts oblong, 3–5 mm, apex obtuse.

Pedicels

erect, 3–7(–14) mm, equal to subtending bract, eglandular-hairy.

patent, (3–)5–10 mm, equal to or ± shorter than subtending bract, glabrous or glandular-hairy.

Flowers

calyx 5-lobed, abaxial lobes 3–4 mm, adaxial 1–1.5 mm, apex acute, glabrous or hairy;

corolla bright blue, rarely pinkish or white, (9–)12–18 mm diam.;

stamens 4.5–6 mm;

style 5–6 mm.

calyx lobes 2.5–3 mm, apex obtuse, glabrous or glandular-hairy;

corolla white to pale pink with darker veins not reaching margins, 4–5 mm diam.;

stamens 5 mm;

style (1.3–)1.5–2.5 mm.

Capsules

± compressed to ± round in cross section, broadly obovoid or obcordiform, (3–)4–5.5 × (2.5–)3.5–5 mm, apex not deeply, narrowly emarginate, glabrous or sparsely hairy.

± compressed in cross section, subglobular, 2.5–3(–3.5) × 3–4 mm, apex emarginate, sinus 0.1–0.3 mm, glabrous or glandular-hairy.

Seeds

(2–)8–18, brown, widely ellipsoid to widely obovoid, flat, 1.2–2.1 × 1–1.5 mm, 0.2–0.4 mm thick, smooth.

26–123, yellow-brown, ellipsoid to subglobular, planoconvex, 0.4–0.7 × 0.3–0.5 mm, 0.2–0.3 mm thick, smooth.

2n

= 48, 64 (Europe).

= 36.

Veronica teucrium

Veronica catenata

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Jun–Oct.
Habitat Dry meadows, forest edges, scrub, calcareous soils. Wet places, rarely running water, lakeshores, ditches, muddy places, stream channels.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) 0–2500 m. (0–8200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; DC; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SD; VT; WI; NF; ON; QC; Europe [Introduced in North America]
from FNA
CA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; MA; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; ON; QC; SK; Europe
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Veronica teucrium has often been considered an infraspecific taxon of V. austriaca; many records of V. teucrium have been reported under the name V. austriaca. The occurrence of V. austriaca in the narrow sense in the flora area could be neither supported nor excluded; it differs from V. teucrium mainly in distal leaves of the vegetative shoot linear and entire.

Related species have been introduced for horticultural reasons but apparently have not escaped. Veronica satureiifolia Poiteau & Turpin was reported from Missouri by G. Yatskievych [1999–2013; as V. scheereri (J.-P. Brandt) Holub] outside cultivation based on a single specimen and was similarly found in MIN but likely not naturalized. The name V. latifolia Linnaeus, which has at times been used for V. teucrium, is now considered ambiguous and should not be used (R. K. Brummitt 2007). Reports of V. teucrium in Saskatchewan have not been verified.

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

Veronica catenata seems to be a relative of V. anagallis-aquatica that is more cold-adapted, as seen in Europe (R. Götte 2007), and native to the flora area. Although no specimens were seen it may be found in Alaska, Connecticut, and Kentucky.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 322. FNA vol. 17, p. 314.
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. serpyllifolia, V. spicata, V. stelleri, V. sublobata, 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. 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. serpyllifolia, V. spicata, V. stelleri, V. sublobata, V. teucrium, V. triloba, V. triphyllos, V. undulata, V. verna, V. wormskjoldii
Synonyms V. austriaca subsp. teucrium, V. austriaca var. teucrium V. catenata var. glandulosa, V. connata subsp. glaberrima
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 1: 16. (1762) Pennell: Rhodora 23: 37. (1921)
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