Veronica

Scientific name

Veronica L.

Common names

speedwell, brooklime, bird's eye, gypsyweed

Family

Plantaginaceae

Similar genera

Bacopa, Bidens, Epilobium, Hypericum, Justicia, Lysimachia, Mentha, Mimulus

Native distribution

northern temperatetemperate:
(adj) of the climatic zone between boreal and tropical
regions

Species cultivated

six species available either commercially or through hobbyists

Veronica americana Schwein. ex Benth

V. anagallis-aquatica L.

V. anagalloides Guss.

V. beccabunga L.

V. catenata Pennell

V. scutellata L.

Adventive distribution

temperate temperate:
(adj) of the climatic zone between boreal and tropical
regions worldwide

Weed status

may be a troublesome weed locally

Habit

small to medium, seasonally submergedsubmerged:
(adj) (syn. submersed) under water; submerged below the water surface
to emergentemergent:
(adj) (syn. emersed) with parts raised out of the water; extending up out of the water
herb

Brief description

Rhizomatous rhizomatous:
(adj) possessing rhizomes
or stoloniferous. Foliage and fruit glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
or with sparse capitatecapitate:
(adj) terminated by an enlarged and rounded head
glandular hairs. Stems decumbentdecumbent:
(adj) (of stems) having a portion lying along the ground, with upper parts erect or ascending
to erect, simple to many-branched, ± succulent, often rooting at lower nodes. Leaves oppositeopposite:
(adj) (of leaves) two leaves per node; in pairs on opposite sides of an axis
, decussatedecussate:
(adj) arranged along stem in pairs, with each pair at right angles to the pairs above and below
; typically sessilesessile:
(adj) attached directly, without a stalk
, or shortly petiolatepetiolate:
(adj) relating to or in the form of a petiole; bearing petioles
; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
lanceolate, ellipticelliptic:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
to ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, oblongoblong:
(adj) two to four times longer than wide, with +/- parallel sides
; apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
round to acuteacute:
(adj) tapering to a sharp, pointed apex with more or less straight sides; broader than acuminate; forming an angle of less than 90 degrees
; base ± lobedlobed:
(adj) divided into (usually rounded) segments
or amplexicaulineamplexicauline:
(adj) (of leaf bases) clasping the stem
; margins entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
to serrateserrate:
(adj) (of a leaf margin) bearing sharp teeth pointing forward or to the apex
; venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
pinnatepinnate:
(adj) in the form of a feather; of, e.g., leaflets, lobes, or veins: arranged in two rows along an axis
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
an axillaryaxillary:
(adj) in, of, or produced from an axil
, occasionally terminalterminal:
(adj) at the apex
racemeraceme:
(n) an indeterminate, unbranched inflorescence having pedicelled flowers on a usually elongated axis (may be cymose)
bearing few to 50 flowers; pedicelspedicels:
(n) the stalk of a single flower in an inflorescence, or of a grass spikelet
straight to spreading; bracts linear. Flowers actinomorphicactinomorphic:
(adj) of flowers, having radial symmetry; capable of being bisected into identifical halves along more than one axis
; sepals 4, free, ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
to lanceolatelanceolate:
(adj) lance-shaped; widest point below the middle, tapering to the apex
; corollacorolla:
(n) the inner whorl(s) of the perianth; all the petals of a flower
tube short, 4-lobed, lobes broadly ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, slightly unequal in width; stamens 2; stigmastigma:
(n) the portion of the pistil that is receptive to pollen
typically capitatecapitate:
(adj) terminated by an enlarged and rounded head
, or 2-lobed; blue, purple, pink or white.

Natural habitat

wetlands; along margins of bodies of water, in wet meadows, swamps, stationary or slow-moving water

Additional comments

Veronica contains nearly 200 species. Aquatic species in the genus are mainly within section Beccabunga. Due to variations in local populations across its wide distribution, Veronica has an unstable taxonomic history; it was formerly placed in the family Scrophulariaceae.