View source for Veronica

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Veronica
|accepted_authority=Linnaeus
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=Sp. Pl.
|place=1: 9. 1753
|year=1753
}}
|common_names=Speedwell
|basionyms=
|synonyms=
|hierarchy=Plantaginaceae;Veronica
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Plantaginaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Veronica]]</div></div>
|etymology=Late Latin form of Greek Berenike/Pherenike, phero, bearer, and nike, victory, probably alluding to Saint Veronica
|volume=Volume 17
|mention_page=page 5, 12, 13, 14, 297, 322
|treatment_page=page 305
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-undefined" data-properties=""><b>Herbs </b>or subshrubs (<i>V. fruticans</i>) [shrubs], perennial, biennial (<i>V. triphyllos</i>), or annual; rhizomes creeping or absent. <b>Stems</b> creeping to erect, glabrous or hairy, glandular or eglandular. <b>Leaves</b> cauline, rarely in basal rosettes, opposite, sometimes alternate distally, rarely proximally (<i>V. fruticans</i>); petiole absent or present; blade not fleshy, not leathery (except <i>V. fruticans</i> ), margins entire, dentate, serrate, 3–5-pinnately lobed, 3–7 pinnatifid, or ± palmatifid. <b>Inflorescences</b> terminal and/or axillary, racemes; bracts present, sometimes leaflike. <b>Pedicels</b> absent or present; bracteoles absent. <b>Flowers</b> bisexual; sepals 4(or 5), basally connate, calyx bilaterally symmetric, rotate to campanulate, lobes linear to suborbiculate or triangular-cordate; corolla light to deep blue with lighter or reddish center, violet, lavender, or purple to pink with darker center, or white, bilaterally symmetric, weakly bilabiate, rotate or short-tubular, sometimes campanulate, tube base not spurred or gibbous, lobes 4, abaxial 3, adaxial 1; stamens 2, basally adnate to corolla, filaments glabrous; staminode 0; ovary 2-locular, placentation axile; stigma pointed to capitate. <b>Fruits</b> capsules, dehiscence loculicidal. <b>Seeds</b> (1–)4–140, yellow to brown, rarely blackish (<i>V. triphyllos</i>), planoconvex to urn-shaped, wings absent. × = 9.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|distribution=North America;Mexico;Central America;South America;Eurasia;Africa;Atlantic Islands;Pacific Islands;Australia.
|discussion=<p>Species ca. 450 (34 in the flora).</p><!--
--><p><i>Veronica</i> includes many horticultural and weedy plants. Introduction and subsequent naturalization of species is often a possibility. The classification by D. C. Albach et al. (2004b) recognized 13 subgenera within <i>Veronica</i>; this was reduced to 12 by P. J. Garnock-Jones et al. (2007). Of these 12, ten are represented in the flora area. Species in this treatment are ordered by their placement in these subgenera as follows: subg. Pseudolysimachium (W. D. J. Koch) Buchenau (species 1 and 2, type <i>V. spicata</i>), subg. <i>Veronica</i> Linnaeus (species 3–10, type <i>V. officinalis</i>), subg. Beccabunga (Hill) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer (species 11–17, type <i>V. beccabunga</i>), subg. Pellidosperma (E. B. J. Lehman) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer (species 18, type V. praecox Allioni), subg. Cochlidiosperma (Reichenbach) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer (species 19–22, type <i>V. hederifolia</i>), subg. Chamaedrys (W. D. J. Koch) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer (species 23–26, type <i>V. chamaedrys</i>), subg. Stenocarpon (Borissova) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer (species 27, type <i>V. ciliata</i> Fischer), subg. Pocilla (Dumortier) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer (species 28–33, type <i>V. agrestis</i>), and subg. Pentasepalae (Bentham) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer (species 34, type <i>V. teucrium</i>).</p><!--
--><p>One of the subgenera, subg. <i>Synthyris</i> (Bentham) M. M. Martínez Ortega, Albach & M. A. Fischer, includes species treated here as the genus <i>Synthyris</i>. Other taxa included in <i>Veronica</i> but sometimes recognized at the generic rank are Pseudolysimachion (W. D. J. Koch) Opiz (D. C. Albach 2008) and Hebe Commerson ex Jussieu (P. J. Garnock-Jones et al. 2007).</p><!--
--><p>Subgenus Pseudoveronica J. B. Armstrong includes <i>Veronica</i> franciscana Eastwood [= Hebe franciscana (Eastwood) Souster] and V. speciosa R. Cunningham ex A. Cunningham [= <i>H. speciosa</i> (R. Cunningham ex A. Cunningham) Andersen], which have been introduced to California as ornamentals that might escape.</p><!--
--><p>Characters known to vary in <i>Veronica</i> are the indument (to densely white tomentose in V. incana Linnaeus), leaf shape, and flower color. Among many of the creeping species of the genus (for example, <i>V. agrestis</i>, <i>V. filiformis</i>, <i>V. hederifolia</i>, <i>V. persica</i>), most leaflike organs on the stems are bracts. The genus also includes a number of ornamentally grown plants, most of them more or less closely related to <i>V. teucrium</i>. They differ mainly in habit and leaf shape and should key out close to <i>V. chamaedrys</i>, <i>V. officinalis</i>, or <i>V. teucrium</i>, but none of them have been reported to persist outside their native range.</p>
|tables=
|references={{Treatment/Reference
|id=albach2006a
|text=Albach, D. C., P. Schönswetter, and A. Tribsch. 2006. Comparative phylogeography of the Veronica alpina complex in Europe and North America. Molec. Ecol. 15: 3269–3286.
}}{{Treatment/Reference
|id=albach2010a
|text=Albach, D. C. and H. M. Meudt. 2010. Phylogeny of Veronica in the southern and northern hemispheres based on plastid, nuclear ribosomal and nuclear low-copy DNA. Molec. Phylogen. Evol. 54: 457–471.
}}
}}<!--

--><div class="treatment-key">
==Key==
<div class="treatment-key-group">
  
{| class="wikitable fna-keytable"
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Racemes 1–25, axillary.
|[[#key-0-2| > 2]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Stems hairy, rarely glabrate or glabrous; leaf blades 1–3 times as long as wide, rarely to 4 times as long (V. teucrium); meadows, forests, and other dry habitats.
|[[#key-0-3| > 3]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Leaf blades elliptic-ovate, ovate, ovate-oblong, or obovate, bases cuneate to attenuate or obtuse.
|[[#key-0-4| > 4]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Pedicels 8–10 mm, longer than subtending bracts; arctic.
|[[Veronica grandiflora|Veronica grandiflora]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Pedicels (0.5–)1–2(–3) mm, shorter than subtending bracts; not arctic.
|[[Veronica officinalis|Veronica officinalis]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Leaf blades ± ovate, ovate-orbiculate, or oblong-ovate, rarely lanceolate, bases truncate to ± cordate.
|[[#key-0-5| > 5]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Stems ascending, rarely erect, (7–)10–30(–50) cm, hairs along stem in 2 prominent lines; calyces 4-lobed; styles (2.5–)4–5 mm.
|[[Veronica chamaedrys|Veronica chamaedrys]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Stems erect, rarely ascending, (15–)30–70(–100) cm, hairs evenly distributed around stem; calyces 5-lobed; styles 5–6 mm.
|[[Veronica teucrium|Veronica teucrium]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Stems glabrous or, if hairy, then only distally; leaf blades 1.5–10 times as long as wide; wet meadows, marshes, or aquatic habitats.
|[[#key-0-6| > 6]]
|-id=key-0-6
|6
|Petioles 2–6(–10) mm.
|[[#key-0-7| > 7]]
|-id=key-0-7
|7
|Leaf blades widest near or distal to middle; styles (1.3–)1.5–3(–3.5) mm.
|[[Veronica beccabunga|Veronica beccabunga]]
|-id=key-0-7
|7
|Leaf blades widest proximal to middle; styles (1.7–)2.5–3.5(–4) mm.
|[[Veronica americana|Veronica americana]]
|-id=key-0-6
|6
|Petioles 0(–5) mm or proximals to 8 mm and distals 0 mm.
|[[#key-0-8| > 8]]
|-id=key-0-8
|8
|Capsules compressed in cross section, apices emarginate by 1/3 length; leaf blades narrowly lanceolate or linear, rarely elliptic.
|[[Veronica scutellata|Veronica scutellata]]
|-id=key-0-8
|8
|Capsules ± compressed or ± round in cross section, apices rounded or ± emarginate; leaf blades ovate-oblong, ovate, oblong, linear-lanceolate, lanceolate, elliptic, oblong-ovate, or oblong-lanceolate.
|[[#key-0-9| > 9]]
|-id=key-0-9
|9
|Corollas white to pale pink; calyx lobe apices obtuse; stamens 5 mm; pedicels equal to ± shorter than subtending bract; leaf margins entire or subentire.
|[[Veronica catenata|Veronica catenata]]
|-id=key-0-9
|9
|Corollas pale lilac to pale blue or lavender, rarely white; calyx lobe apices acute; stamens 2–3.5 mm; pedicels equal to longer than subtending bract; leaf margins crenate, serrulate, or denticulate to subentire, sometimes serrate or ± undulate (V. undulata).
|[[#key-0-10| > 10]]
|-id=key-0-10
|10
|Pedicels suberect or arcuate-erect to subpatent; racemes 5–10 mm diam., axes glabrous, rarely glandular-hairy.
|[[Veronica anagallis-aquatica|Veronica anagallis-aquatica]]
|-id=key-0-10
|10
|Pedicels patent; racemes 10–15 mm diam., axes sparsely glandular-hairy, rarely glabrous.
|[[Veronica undulata|Veronica undulata]]
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Racemes 1(–20), terminal, sometimes also with 1–4 axillary racemes, flowers sometimes appearing solitary.
|[[#key-0-11| > 11]]
|-id=key-0-11
|11
|Perennials; leaf blades (5–)7–40(–150) mm (usually at least 3 mm longer than bracts); bracts 1–9(–15) mm.
|[[#key-0-12| > 12]]
|-id=key-0-12
|12
|Corollas campanulate; racemes (50–)70–200(–300) mm, (50–)100–300-flowered.
|[[#key-0-13| > 13]]
|-id=key-0-13
|13
|Stems usually with 10–20 nodes, (50–)70–120(–150) cm; leaf blade margins serrate to biserrate, apices acute.
|[[Veronica longifolia|Veronica longifolia]]
|-id=key-0-13
|13
|Stems usually with 4–10 nodes, 5–45(–60) cm; leaf blade margins shallowly crenate to shallowly serrate to subentire, apices obtuse to rounded.
|[[Veronica spicata|Veronica spicata]]
|-id=key-0-12
|12
|Corollas rotate; racemes (± loose), 5–100(–130) mm, (1–)2–30(–60)-flowered.
|[[#key-0-14| > 14]]
|-id=key-0-14
|14
|Capsules wider than long; stems with scattered eglandular hairs only, often also with glandular hairs, sometimes glabrate.
|[[Veronica serpyllifolia|Veronica serpyllifolia]]
|-id=key-0-14
|14
|Capsules ca. as long as or longer than wide; stems eglandular- or glandular-hairy.
|[[#key-0-15| > 15]]
|-id=key-0-15
|15
|Subshrubs; stems densely branched from woody base.
|[[Veronica fruticans|Veronica fruticans]]
|-id=key-0-15
|15
|Herbs; stems unbranched or sparsely branched.
|[[#key-0-16| > 16]]
|-id=key-0-16
|16
|Stamens 1–2.3 mm; corollas 2.5–11 mm diam.; styles 0.5–4(–6) mm.
|[[#key-0-17| > 17]]
|-id=key-0-17
|17
|Raceme axes eglandular-hairy or glabrate; pedicels 1.5–2(–4) mm; styles 0.5–1.5(–2) mm.
|[[Veronica alpina|Veronica alpina]]
|-id=key-0-17
|17
|Raceme axes glandular-hairy; pedicels 2–10(–15) mm; styles 0.8–4(–6) mm.
|[[Veronica wormskjoldii|Veronica wormskjoldii]]
|-id=key-0-16
|16
|Stamens 4–8 mm; corollas (8–)10–13 mm diam.; styles 3–10 mm.
|[[#key-0-18| > 18]]
|-id=key-0-18
|18
|Leaf blade surfaces glabrous or glabrate.
|[[Veronica cusickii|Veronica cusickii]]
|-id=key-0-18
|18
|Leaf blade surfaces hairy.
|[[#key-0-19| > 19]]
|-id=key-0-19
|19
|Leaf blade margins entire; stems glandular-hairy.
|[[Veronica copelandii|Veronica copelandii]]
|-id=key-0-19
|19
|Leaf blade margins dentate or serrate; stems eglandular-hairy.
|[[Veronica stelleri|Veronica stelleri]]
|-id=key-0-11
|11
|Mostly annuals (V. triphyllos sometimes biennial, V. filiformis perennial); leaf blades (2–)5–28(–35) mm; bracts 3–25 mm (if bracts less than 9 mm, leaf blades usually less than 10 mm).
|[[#key-0-20| > 20]]
|-id=key-0-20
|20
|Pedicels 0–4(–5) mm.
|[[#key-0-21| > 21]]
|-id=key-0-21
|21
|Corollas white or pale pink; leaf blades 3–10 times as long as wide, margins entire or dentate distally.
|[[Veronica peregrina|Veronica peregrina]]
|-id=key-0-21
|21
|Corollas ± blue; leaf blades 1–2.5 times as long as wide, margins crenate-serrate, pinnatifid, or subpalmatifid.
|[[#key-0-22| > 22]]
|-id=key-0-22
|22
|Leaf margins crenate-serrate.
|[[Veronica arvensis|Veronica arvensis]]
|-id=key-0-22
|22
|Leaf margins, at least distal leaves, pinnatifid or ± palmatifid.
|[[#key-0-23| > 23]]
|-id=key-0-23
|23
|Corollas 1.5–3 mm diam.; styles 0.2–0.6 mm, stigmas white.
|[[Veronica verna|Veronica verna]]
|-id=key-0-23
|23
|Corollas 4–6 mm diam.; styles 0.8–1.5 mm, stigmas violet.
|[[Veronica dillenii|Veronica dillenii]]
|-id=key-0-20
|20
|Pedicels (2–)4–30 mm.
|[[#key-0-24| > 24]]
|-id=key-0-24
|24
|Leaf blade margins 3–5(–7)-palmatifid.
|[[Veronica triphyllos|Veronica triphyllos]]
|-id=key-0-24
|24
|Leaf blade margins serrate, dentate, crenate-serrate, or 3–9-lobed.
|[[#key-0-25| > 25]]
|-id=key-0-25
|25
|Styles (1.5–)2–4 mm; pedicels (12–)15–30(–38) mm; corollas ± blue, 8–14 mm diam.
|[[#key-0-26| > 26]]
|-id=key-0-26
|26
|Capsules reticulate with prominent veins, sinus angle (80–)90–120(–150)°; pedicels (12–)15–27(–38) mm, length 1–2(–3) times subtending bracts.
|[[Veronica persica|Veronica persica]]
|-id=key-0-26
|26
|Capsules absent or almost smooth, sinus angle 50–90°; pedicels (15–)20–30 mm, length 2–5 times subtending bracts.
|[[Veronica filiformis|Veronica filiformis]]
|-id=key-0-25
|25
|Styles 0.2–2 mm; pedicels (2–)3–15(–30) mm; corollas ± blue, white, pale lilac, pinkish, or pale violet, 2–12 mm diam.
|[[#key-0-27| > 27]]
|-id=key-0-27
|27
|Stems erect.
|[[#key-0-28| > 28]]
|-id=key-0-28
|28
|Bract margins: proximals serrate, distals sometimes entire; leaf blades (6–)12–28(–35) mm; styles (0.7–)1–1.3(–1.7) mm.
|[[Veronica argute-serrata|Veronica argute-serrata]]
|-id=key-0-28
|28
|Bract margins entire; leaf blades (3–)4–12(–20) mm; styles 0.4–0.8(–2) mm.
|[[Veronica biloba|Veronica biloba]]
|-id=key-0-27
|27
|Stems creeping, decumbent, or ascending, rarely erect in young plants (V. sublobata).
|[[#key-0-29| > 29]]
|-id=key-0-29
|29
|Leaf blade margins dentate to serrate; capsules ± compressed or ± round in cross section, apices emarginate.
|[[#key-0-30| > 30]]
|-id=key-0-30
|30
|Calyx lobes broadly ovate, 2.6–3.8 mm wide; capsules densely eglandular-hairy (hairs less than 0.1 mm), sometimes also glandular-puberulent (hairs 0.2–0.3 mm), rarely glabrous; corollas intense dark to bright blue, rarely pale lilac or white.
|[[Veronica polita|Veronica polita]]
|-id=key-0-30
|30
|Calyx lobes linear-lanceolate, 2.2–2.6 mm wide; capsules sparsely glandular-hairy; corollas white or pale pinkish or pale blue.
|[[Veronica agrestis|Veronica agrestis]]
|-id=key-0-29
|29
|Leaf blade margins 3–5(–9)-lobed; capsules ± round in cross section, apices ± emarginate.
|[[#key-0-31| > 31]]
|-id=key-0-31
|31
|Corollas white; calyx lobes not ciliate.
|[[Veronica cymbalaria|Veronica cymbalaria]]
|-id=key-0-31
|31
|Corollas blue or pale violet to whitish; calyx lobes ciliate.
|[[#key-0-32| > 32]]
|-id=key-0-32
|32
|Corollas deep blue with white center; calyx lobe abaxial surfaces puberulent, rarely glabrous; pedicel length 1–2 times calyx.
|[[Veronica triloba|Veronica triloba]]
|-id=key-0-32
|32
|Corollas bright blue with bright white center or pale violet to whitish; calyx lobe abaxial surfaces sparsely hairy or glabrous; pedicel length 2–4(–6) times calyx.
|[[#key-0-33| > 33]]
|-id=key-0-33
|33
|Corollas bright blue with bright white center, 5–7(–9) mm diam.; styles (0.6–)0.7–0.9(–1.1) mm; pedicel length 2–3 times calyx, eglandular-hairy in single line adaxially.
|[[Veronica hederifolia|Veronica hederifolia]]
|-id=key-0-33
|33
|Corollas pale violet to whitish, 4–5(–6) mm diam.; styles 0.2–0.7 mm; pedicel length 3–4(–6) times calyx, densely eglandular-hairy adaxially.
|[[Veronica sublobata|Veronica sublobata]]
|}
</div></div><!--

-->{{#Taxon:
name=Veronica
|author=Dirk C. Albach
|authority=Linnaeus
|rank=genus
|parent rank=family
|synonyms=
|basionyms=
|family=Plantaginaceae
|illustrator=Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey
|illustration copyright=Flora of North America Association
|distribution=North America;Mexico;Central America;South America;Eurasia;Africa;Atlantic Islands;Pacific Islands;Australia.
|reference=albach2006a;albach2010a
|publication title=Sp. Pl.
|publication year=1753
|special status=
|source xml=https://bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-data-curation/src/2e0870ddd59836b60bcf96646a41e87ea5a5943a/coarse_grained_fna_xml/V17/V17_740.xml
|genus=Veronica
}}<!--

-->[[Category:Treatment]][[Category:Plantaginaceae]]