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]
| Veronica arvensis | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Plantaginaceae |
| Genus: | Veronica |
| Species: | V. arvensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Veronica arvensis | |
Description
editIt 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
editGrowth
editVeronica 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 degrees Celsius to 15 degrees Celsius.[citation needed] If they do not make the first autumn cycle of growth, they can grow in the following spring.[citation needed]
Uses
editIt 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]
Further reading
edit- Farmanagh Species Account - Biological account from Farmanagh, Ireland
- Flora of North America - Botanical description
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)".