Veronica triloba
Veronica wormskjoldii
trilobed speedwell
alpine speedwell, American alpine speedwell, hairy speedwell, spring speedwell, thyme-leaf speedwell, wormskjold's alpine speedwell
decumbent, (5–)10–30 cm, ± eglandular-hairy.
erect or ascending, light grayish green distally, unbranched, (3–)8–50 cm, sparsely to densely villous-hirsute, sometimes also glandular-hairy.
blade broadly ovate to suborbiculate, 3(–5)-lobed, central lobe 1/4–1/2 times length of whole leaf, (3–)5–10(–15) × (4–)6–12(–18) mm, ± fleshy, base truncate to subcordate, margins 3(–5)-lobed, apex acute, surfaces sparsely eglandular-hairy.
blade elliptic to lanceolate or oblong-ovate, 8–40 × 5–20 mm, base cuneate, margins entire, dentate, or serrate, apex short-acuminate, surfaces sparsely to densely villous-hirsute or glabrous.
1–10, terminal, (50–)100–300 mm, 5–20-flowered, axis sparsely eglandular-hairy;
bracts broadly ovate to suborbiculate, 3(–5)-lobed, (3–)5–10(–15) mm.
1, terminal, 5–40 mm, to 60(–150) mm in fruit, (2–)5–25-flowered, axis densely villous-hirsute and ± glandular-hairy;
bracts linear to lanceolate, 1–8 mm.
patent, deflexed in fruit, (2–)4–8(–10) mm, shorter than subtending bract, length 1–2 times calyx, glabrous abaxially, hairy adaxially.
erect, 2–10(–15) mm, ca. equal to subtending bract, densely villous-hirsute or glandular-hairy.
calyx lobes 4–5(–6) mm, apex acute, puberulent on abaxial surface, rarely glabrous, densely ciliate with 35–60 per side;
corolla deep blue with white center, 3–5 mm diam.;
stamens dark blue, length unknown;
style 0.5–0.9(–1.1) mm.
calyx lobes (2.5–)3–5.5(–7) mm, apex obtuse or acuminate, glabrous or densely glandular-hairy;
corolla deep blue-violet or violet-purple to deep blue, rotate, 3–11 mm diam.;
stamens 1–2 mm;
style 0.8–4(–6) mm.
± round in cross section, ovoid, 2.5–3(–3.5) × 4–5 mm, apex ± emarginate, glabrous.
compressed in cross section, oblong-obovoid, 4–6(–8) × (2.8–)4–5.5 mm, ca. as long as wide, apex emarginate, usually densely glandular-hairy.
(1–)4, dull yellowish brown, ellipsoid, often elongate-cuboidal, deeply urn-shaped (elaiosome inside), 2.2–2.8 × 1.5–2.2 mm, 1–1.4 mm thick, cristate to strongly rugose at margins.
10–50, straw colored, ellipsoid, flat, 0.7–1 × 0.4–1 mm, 0.05–1 mm thick, very minutely striate.
= 18 (Eurasia).
Veronica triloba
Veronica wormskjoldii
Veronica triloba is known in the flora area from three recent collections in California and Ohio; it is possibly more widespread than reported here. It is closely related to V. hederifolia.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).
Veronica wormskjoldii occurs in two cytotypes, a diploid (2n = 18) in western North America and a tetraploid (2n = 36) in eastern North America and Greenland. As demonstrated by D. C. Albach et al. (2006), the tetraploid is likely to be a hybrid of the diploid V. alpina and V. wormskjoldii. In that publication, species rank was used for simplicity, not as a taxonomic conclusion. However, subsequent morphological analyses in conjunction with preparing this treatment revealed that the large variation in the diploid V. wormskjoldii, also supported by the large number of varieties established within that taxon, make it nearly impossible to differentiate the two North American taxa morphologically. In cases where two taxa are morphologically undifferentiable, but karyologically and genetically distinct and geographically clearly separate, the rank of subspecies seems more appropriate.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Pedicels 2–5 mm; e North America. | subsp. wormskjoldii |
1. Pedicels (2–)5–10(–15) mm; w North America. | subsp. nutans |
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BC, 
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OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
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PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
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USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
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