VERONICA ANAGALLIS-AQUATICA

Family and Genus:- See- PLANTAGINACEAE/Sect. BECCABUNGA

Common Names:- Water speedwell

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Veronica (L) For Saint Veronica, who wiped the sweat from Christ's

face.

Anagallis (Gr) Unpretentious or delighting.

Aquatica (L) Living in water.

General description:- Medium, hairless, occasionally glandular-hairy perennial.

Stem:-

1) (5-)30-60(-100) cm, erect, simple or much-branched at the base, glabrous or

glandular-pubescent.

Leaves:-

1) Opposite, 20-100 mm, light green, glabrous;

a) lower, ovate, often petiolate, subentire.

b) upper, ovate-lanceolate, more or less semi-amplexicaul, irregularly scarcely

serrate, near the apex.

Flowers:-

1) Racemes, glabrous or glandular-pubescent, up to 3 times as long as the

subtending leaves.

2) Pedicels, 4-7 mm, erect, erecto-patent or arcuate-ascending, usually at least as

long as the linear bracts.

3) Calyx-segments erect in fruit, but not closely appressed to capsule.

4) Corolla 5-10 mm diam, blue with violet veins.

5) Style, 1·5-2 mm.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, 2·5-4 x 2·5-3·5 mm, orbicular, ovate or elliptical.

Key features:-

1) Pedicels, ± erect, at least in distal half.

2) Capsule, not wider than long.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Marshy and muddy places by brooks, ditches in agricultural areas, wet

meadows, reed-swamps. 0-1100 m.

Distribution:- Throughout Greece. - A widespread Euro-Siberian species and

common throughout the Mediterranean. Limited distribution across Crete, not

common.

Flowering time:- Apr-July, sometimes later.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton