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| Veronica arvensis | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Plantaginaceae |
| Genus: | Veronica |
| Species: | V. arvensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Veronica arvensis | |
Veronica arvensis, common names: wall speedwell,[1]: 592 corn speedwell, common speedwell, rock speedwell,[2] field speedwell,[3] is an annual flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. The species is native to Europe and a common weed in gardens, pastures, waste places, and cultivated land.[1]
Description
[edit]It is a hairy, erect to almost recumbent, annual herb, 9 to 40 centimetres (3.5 to 15.7 in) high from a taproot. The leaves are oppositely arranged in pairs about the stem. The lower leaves have short petioles; the upper are sessile. Each leaf, 1.5 to 2.5 centimetres (0.59 to 0.98 in) in length, is ovate, or triangular with a truncated or slightly cordate base, with coarse teeth. Borne in a raceme, initially compact but elongating with age, the flowers are pale blue to blue-violet, 2 to 3 mm in diameter, four-lobed with a narrow lowest lobe. Flower stalks are 0.5 to 2 millimetres (0.020 to 0.079 in) and shorter than the bracts. The fruit capsules are heart-shaped and shorter than the sepal-teeth. It flowers from April to October.[1]
Photographic examples can be seen on iNaturalist.
Similar species – V. arvensis has stem leaves incised rather than well-lobed; similar species include Veronica verna, which has well-lobed stem leaves but when they are few, the plant as a whole can resemble V. arvensis.
Distribution
[edit]It is native to Africa, Asia and Europe.[4]
Growth
[edit]Veronica arvensis plants go through changes in their germination[5] due to temperature and light that control the timing of growth in buried seed reserves. These plants tend to germinate in consistent temperature ranges of 10–15 °C (50–59 °F).[citation needed] If they do not make the first autumn cycle of growth, they can grow in the following spring.[citation needed]
Uses
[edit]It is a medicinal plant.
Uses (Ethnobotany): The herb is alterative, antiscorbutic and diuretic. It has been used for the treatment of scurvy, impurities of the blood etc. It is also used as a remedy for scrofulous affections, especially of the skin, and is bruised and applied externally for healing burns and ulcers.[6]
References
[edit]
- ^ a b c Stace, Clive (April 2010). New Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521707725.
- ^ Veronica arvensis at USDA PLANTS Database
- ^ Popay I., Champion P. & James T. (2010). An Illustrated Guide to Common Weeds of New Zealand, Third edition. p. 286. New Zealand Plant Protection Society (Inc.), Christchurch, New Zealand. ISBN 978-0-473-16285-6.
- ^ Veronica arvensis Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine at Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN)
- ^ Baskin, Jerry; Baskin, Carol (March 1983). "Germination Ecology of Veronica arvensis". Journal of Ecology. 71 (1): 57–68. Bibcode:1983JEcol..71...57B. doi:10.2307/2259963. JSTOR 2259963.
- ^ "North Carolina Extension Gardener (V. arvensis)".
External links
[edit]- Farmanagh Species Account – Biological account from Farmanagh, Ireland
- Flora of North America – Botanical description