Veronica triphyllos |
Veronica spicata |
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finger speedwell, fingered speedwell |
spike speedwell, véronique en épi |
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Habit | Annuals, sometimes biennials. | Perennials. |
Stems | erect or ascending, often blue tinged, (3–)5–15(–20) cm, densely hairy. |
ascending, usually with 4–10 nodes, 5–45(–60) cm, proximally eglandular- or glandular-hairy, sometimes glabrous, distally eglandular- and, usually, glandular-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-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. |
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(–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. |
Pedicels | patent or arcuate-ascending, 4–11(–20) mm, ± equal to subtending bract, length 1–2 times calyx, densely hairy. |
suberect to patent, 0.5–1(–2) mm, shorter than subtending bract, eglandular- and glandular-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 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. |
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, broadly ovoid, 2–3 × 2–3 mm, apex obtuse, densely glandular-puberulent. |
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. |
3–40, light brown, ellipsoid, flat, 0.6–1.2 × 0.5–0.8 mm, 0.2–0.4 mm thick, smooth. |
2n | = 14 (Eurasia). |
= 34, 68 (Europe). |
Veronica triphyllos |
Veronica spicata |
|
Phenology | Flowering (Feb–)Mar–May(–Jul). | Flowering Jun–Sep. |
Habitat | Pine forests, stony pastures, rocky banks, sandy fields, gardens, roadsides, rarely calcareous soils. | Dry grasslands. |
Elevation | 100–1000 m. (300–3300 ft.) | 0–700 m. (0–2300 ft.) |
Distribution |
CA; ID; KS; MO; OK; OR; WA; Eurasia [Introduced in North America] |
CT; NH; NY; ON; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America] |
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.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 315. | FNA vol. 17, p. 308. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 14. (1753) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 10. (1753) |
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