Family:
Plantaginaceae Juss.

Veronica L.

This genus is accepted, and its native range is Cosmopolitan.

[FTEA]

Scrophulariaceae, S.A. Ghazanfar, F.N. Hepper & D. Philcox. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2008

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs, sometimes woody at the base
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts sometimes foliose, usually alternate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in terminal or lateral (then main axis continuing vegetative growth) racemes; terminal racemes sometimes elongated with foliose bracts; bracteoles absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx deeply divided into 4(–5) often unequal segments, the fifth posterior segment when present usually smaller
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla rotate to campanulate, with 4 (rarely 5) lobes; tube short, rarely exceeding the calyx; upper and lower lobes often narrower
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 2, inserted on the corolla tube at the sides of the upper lobe, exserted; anther thecae divergent or parallel, obtuse, confluent at the apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style with subcapitate stigma
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a loculicidal and sometimes also pseudosepticidal capsule, more or less compressed at right angles to the septum, usually with hairs and venose surface
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds few or many, ellipsoidal or suborbicular, affixed by the inner flat or concave surface, reticulate, sometimes almost smooth, or rugulose on the back, often with a thickened or keeled margin.
Note
It is surprising that only one of the temperate European annual “speedwells” of cultivated ground and lawns has been reported from the Flora area. Others likely to occur are V. polita L., V. peregrina L., and V. arvensis L.  Several species are cultivated as ornamental shrubs in upland gardens and parks: V. longifolia L., V. salicifolia Forst.f., V. speciosa A.Cunn., V. spicata L., and the shrubby species often referred to Hebe.

[FSOM]

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution
Some 180 species, mainly in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, but some in tropical highlands and some widespread weeds.
Morphology General Habit
Herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite below, usually alternate above
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in terminal or axillary racemes, or solitary in the leaf axils
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-lobes 4(–5), often unequal-Corolla rotate; tube short; limb with 4 somewhat unequal lobes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 2, exserted
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style filiform, persistent; stigma club-shaped
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a loculicidal and sometimes also septicidal capsule, ± flattened at right angles to the septum
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds usually numerous.

[FZ]

Scrophulariaceae, D. Philcox. Flora Zambesiaca 8:2. 1990

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs, erect, prostrate or decumbent, glabrous or pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or occasionally verticillate or scattered, entire or variously dentate or crenate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in terminal or axillary racemes or rarely solitary-axillary, bracteate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Pedicels ebracteolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 4- or 5-partite; where present, fifth posterior lobe usually smaller.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla 4–5-lobed; tube short, rarely exceeding calyx.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 2, perfect, exserted; inserted on corolla tube at sides of upper lobe; anther-thecae divergent or parallel, obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style apically subcapitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule compressed or turgid, bisulcate, loculicidal.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds few to many.

Native to:

Afghanistan, Alabama, Alaska, Albania, Alberta, Aleutian Is., Algeria, Altay, Amur, Antipodean Is., Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Arizona, Arkansas, Assam, Austria, Azores, Bahamas, Baleares, Baltic States, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, British Columbia, Bulgaria, Burundi, Buryatiya, California, Cameroon, Canary Is., Cape Provinces, Cape Verde, Central European Rus, Chad, Chatham Is., Chile Central, Chile South, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Chita, Colombia, Colorado, Connecticut, Corse, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Delaware, Denmark, District of Columbia, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Aegean Is., East European Russia, East Himalaya, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Falkland Is., Finland, Florida, France, Free State, Føroyar, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Greenland, Guatemala, Gulf of Guinea Is., Hainan, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Idaho, Illinois, India, Indiana, Inner Mongolia, Iowa, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Irkutsk, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jawa, Kamchatka, Kansas, Kazakhstan, Kentucky, Kenya, Kermadec Is., Khabarovsk, Kirgizstan, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Kriti, Krym, Kuril Is., KwaZulu-Natal, Labrador, Laos, Lebanon-Syria, Lesotho, Libya, Louisiana, Madeira, Magadan, Maine, Malawi, Manchuria, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Mongolia, Montana, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nansei-shoto, Nebraska, Nepal, Netherlands, Nevada, New Brunswick, New Guinea, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New South Wales, New York, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Newfoundland, Niger, Nigeria, North Carolina, North Caucasus, North Dakota, North European Russi, Northern Provinces, Northwest European R, Northwest Territorie, Norway, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ogasawara-shoto, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oman, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Palestine, Panamá, Pennsylvania, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Primorye, Prince Edward I., Puerto Rico, Qinghai, Queensland, Québec, Rhode I., Romania, Rwanda, Sakhalin, Sardegna, Saskatchewan, Saudi Arabia, Sicilia, Sinai, Somalia, South Australia, South Carolina, South Dakota, South European Russi, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Svalbard, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Tennessee, Texas, Thailand, Tibet, Transcaucasus, Tubuai Is., Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Tuva, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Utah, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vermont, Victoria, Vietnam, Virginia, Washington, West Himalaya, West Siberia, West Virginia, Western Australia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Xinjiang, Yakutskiya, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Yukon, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Introduced into:

Amsterdam-St.Paul Is, Ascension, Bermuda, Chile North, Crozet Is., Easter Is., Galápagos, Haiti, Hawaii, Juan Fernández Is., Lesser Sunda Is., Madagascar, Mauritius, Norfolk Is., Northern Territory, Réunion, Socotra, South Georgia, St.Helena, Tristan da Cunha

Veronica L. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Rico, L. [1789], Armenia K000297291 No

First published in Sp. Pl.: 9 (1753)

Accepted by

  • Andrés-Sánchez, S., Rico, E., Herrero, A., Santos-Vicente, M. & Martínez-Ortega, M.M. (2009). Combining traditional morphometrics and molecular markers in cryptic taxa: towards an updated integrative taxonomic treatment for Veronica subgenus Pentasepalae (Plantaginaceae sensu APG II) in the western Mediterranian Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 159: 68-87.
  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1972). Flora Europaea 3: 1-370. Cambridge University Press.

Literature

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • —F.T.A. 4, 2: 356.

Flora Zambesiaca

  • Sp. Pl.: 12 (1753).

Flora of Somalia

  • Flora Somalia, Vol 3, (2006) Author: by M. Thulin [updated by M. Thulin 2008]

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Sp. P1.: 9 (1753)

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    Flora Zambesiaca
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    Flora of Somalia
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    Copyright applied to individual images