Veronica persica
| Veronica persica | |
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| Species: | V. persica
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| Binomial name | |
| Veronica persica Poiret
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Veronica persica (common names: Persian speedwell, large field speedwell, bird's-eye, or winter speedwell ) is a flowering plant native of Eurasia. First recorded in Britain in 1825[1] and now widespread in the United States, and east Asia (including Japan).
General description
The seed leaves are broadly triangular cotyledons, with truncated base. The short-stalked leaves are broadly ovate (1-2 cm), having coarsely serrated margins. V. persica has weak stems that form a dense, prostrate ground cover. Tips of stems are often ascending. Leaves on the lower stems are paired, but are alternate on the upper portion of the stem. The short-petioled leaves are longer than they are broad and coarsely toothed.
The flowers (8-11 mm wide) [2] are sky-blue with dark stripes and a white center, and they are zygomorphic (they only have one plane of symmetry, which is vertical). They are solitary on long, slender, hairy stalks in the leaf axils.
The seeds are transversely rugose, 1.2-1.8 mm, 5-10 per locule[3]
Life cycle
- Annual or winter annual
- Reproduces from seed
Identification
V. persica can be distinguished from similar species by the strongly cordate fruit [1][2][3] (broadly heart shaped with the lobes widely diverging).
(See image of unripe fruit)
Horticultural Uses
Although many species in the genera are used in gardens (V. exalta, V. incana, V. gentianoides, V. longifollia, V. perfoliata, and V. spicata, for example),[4] this species is generally seen as a weed[5] and has no known horticultural uses.
References
- ^ a b Blamey, Marjorie, Richard Fitter, and Alastair Fitter. 2003. Wild flowers of Britain and Ireland: the complete guide to the British and Irish flora. A & C Black, London.
- ^ a b Rhoads, Ann Fowler and Timothy A Block. 2007. Plants of Pennsylvania: an illustrated manual, 2nd ed. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia.
- ^ a b Gleason, Henry A and Arthur Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, 2nd ed. New York Botanical Gardens, New York, New York.
- ^ Thomas, Graham Stuart. 1992. Perennial Garden Plants or the Modern Florilegium, 2nd ed. J. M. Dent and Sons, London.
- ^ USDA Plants Database profile: Veronica persica
