VERONICA
Veronica
L., Sp. Pl. 9. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 10. 1754; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 4: 291. 1885; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 356. 1921 (Reprint 1980); De-Yuan & Fischer, Fl. China @ eFloras.org 18: 65.
Annual herbs or perennials with rhizomes. Stems erect, procumbent or creeping, base sometimes suffruticose. Leaves, at least the lower ones, opposite, usually passing into alternate floral leaves or bracts. Flowers small, blue, white or tinged with purple, in axillary or terminal racemes, sometimes spicate, long or short and capitate. Calyx 4-lobed, lobes unequal, sometimes 5-lobed with the upper lobe much smaller than other lobes. Corolla tube short, sometimes 1/3-1/2 of corolla length; limb 4-lobed, subrotate, rarely slightly 2-lipped, lobes spreading, unequal, upper lobe widest, lower lobe narrowest, obtuse, entire. Stamens 2; filaments adnate to proximal part of corolla tube; anthers exserted, thecae parallel or divergent, apically confluent. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary ovoid, 2-locular; style linear, persistent; stigma minute, capitate. Capsule flattened, notched or deeply 2-lobed, opening along the edges in 2-valves; seeds 2-50 per capsule, flattened and convex on both sides, navicular or cupulate.
461 species
Veronica anagallis- aquatica
Veronica anagallis- aquatica
L., Sp. Pl. 12. 1753; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 4: 293. 1885; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 356. 1921 (Reprint 1980) (as “anagallis”); Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 472. t. 31. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 519. t. 22. 2006; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 18: 78.
Annual herb; up to 1 m tall, erect or decumbent-ascending, branched, usually glabrous, rarely sparsely glandular hairy on inflorescence axes, pedicels, calyces and capsules. Stem fistular, succulent. Leaves opposite decussate, sessile, amplexicaul upwards, 2-5 cm x 0.4-1.3 cm, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, acute or subobtuse, subentire, crenate or serrate, glabrous. Racemes axillary, lax, 7-15 cm long, elongating more in fruiting, rachis glandular hairy. Flowers bisexual, slightly zygomorphic, 2-merous, hypogynous, 2-3 mm long, white or pinkish; pedicels 4-6 mm long, elongating up to 1 cm in fruit, spreading, glandular hairy; bracts 2-4.5 mm long, linear-oblong, generally shorter than or equal to pedicels. Calyx 2-3 mm long, 4-lobed, lobes ovate-lanceolate, equal in size, erect or patent, persistent but not appressed to capsule, apex acute, glandular hairy. Corolla pale blue, pale purple or white, 2-2.5 mm long and 4-5 mm across; tube short; limb rotate, not bilipped, 4-lobed, lobes unequal, broadly ovate, obtuse. Stamens 2, shorter than corolla. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary 2-locular, shallowly bilobed; style linear, 1.5-2 mm; stigma small, capitate. Capsule 2.5-3.5 mm, orbicular, laterally compressed, didymous, smooth, apex rounded and slightly notched; style persistent. Seeds numerous, 0.4-0.5 mm long, globose or somewhat oblong, brownish yellow.
Common Names: Water Speedwell, Brook Pimpernel, Blue Water Speedwell; Sada, Sadevi (Hindi)
