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finger speedwell, fingered speedwell

alpine speedwell, véronique alpine

Habit Annuals, sometimes biennials. Perennials.
Stems

erect or ascending, often blue tinged, (3–)5–15(–20) cm, densely hairy.

ascending, often dark bluish distally, sparsely branched at base, 5–15(–25) cm, eglandular-hairy.

Leaves

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.

blade ovate or oblong-elliptic, 7–30 × 4–20 mm, base cuneate, margins indistinctly dentate or entire, apex short-acuminate, abaxial surface glabrate, adaxial ± hairy.

Racemes

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.

1, terminal, 5–20 mm, to 30 mm in fruit, (1–)3–20-flowered, axis eglandular-hairy;

bracts oblanceolate, 4–5 mm.

Pedicels

patent or arcuate-ascending, 4–11(–20) mm, ± equal to subtending bract, length 1–2 times calyx, densely hairy.

ascending to erect, 1.5–2(–4) mm, shorter than subtending bract, eglandular-hairy.

Flowers

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.

calyx lobes 3–4 mm, ciliate, apex obtuse or acuminate, eglandular-hairy;

corolla sky blue or blue-violet, sometimes white, rotate, 2.5–5.5 mm diam.;

stamens 2–2.3 mm;

style 0.5–1.5(–2) mm.

Capsules

± inflated basally, compressed distally in cross section, obcordiform, 4–5(–10) × 4.5–6.5(–8) mm, apex emarginate, glandular-hairy.

compressed in cross section, obovoid or oblong-obovoid, 4.5–7.5 × 3.5–5.5 mm, ca. as long as wide, apex shallowly emarginate, eglandular-hairy or glabrate.

Seeds

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.

9–53, brown to yellow, ellipsoid-oblong, flat, 0.7–1.2 × 0.4–1 mm, 0.1 mm thick, smooth.

2n

= 14 (Eurasia).

= 18.

Veronica triphyllos

Veronica alpina

Phenology Flowering (Feb–)Mar–May(–Jul). Flowering (Jun–)Jul–Aug.
Habitat Pine forests, stony pastures, rocky banks, sandy fields, gardens, roadsides, rarely calcareous soils. Slopes, moist rocks, hillocks, moist alpine and subalpine meadows.
Elevation 100–1000 m. (300–3300 ft.) 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; KS; MO; OK; OR; WA; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NU; QC; Greenland; Eurasia
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 315. FNA vol. 17, p. 309.
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. teucrium, V. triloba, V. undulata, V. verna, V. wormskjoldii
V. agrestis, 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. teucrium, V. triloba, V. triphyllos, V. undulata, V. verna, V. wormskjoldii
Synonyms V. alpina subsp. australis, V. alpina var. australis, V. pumila
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 14. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 11. (1753)
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