Veronica persica

Veronica persica Poir., Lam. Encycl. 8: 542. 1808; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 4: 294. 1885; Sharma & Kachroo, Fl. Jammu (Illustr.) 2: t. 203. 1983; Dhaliwal & Sharma, Fl. Kullu Dist. 491. 1999; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 474. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 521. 2006; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 18:70.

Annual herb, procumbent or prostrate. Stem 10-30 cm long, branched, branches densely pubescent with multicellular hairs. Lower leaves opposite, upper alternate; petioles 0.2-1.2 cm long, sparsely hairy; leaf blade 0.5-3 cm x 0.5-2 cm, ovate, broadly oblong or suborbicular, rounded or subcordate at base, margin irregularly and coarsely crenate-serrate- dentate, apex obtuse, sparsely pubescent on both surfaces, prominently on the veins abaxially. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 2-merous, hypogynous, solitary axillary, 8-12 mm across, white or tinged with blue; pedicels 1.5-2.5 cm long, equal or longer than the subtending leaf, decurved in fruit, pubescent. Calyx 6-7 mm long; tube very short; lobes 4, distinctly unequal, ovate-lanceolate, subacute, pubescent. Corolla usually blue or pale blue with vertical stripes, 8-12 mm in diameter; tube short; limb 4-lobed, rotate, lobes unequal, ovate to orbicular, spreading, apex obtuse or rounded. Stamens 2, slightly shorter than corolla. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary densely pubescent, 2-locular, few ovules per loculus, placentation axile; style 2-3 mm long, slightly exserted; stigma small, capitate. Capsule 4-5 mm x 6-9 mm, glandular pubescent, obcordate, didymous, compressed, conspicuously reticulately veined, 5-10 seeded; fruiting calyx 6-6.5 mm long. Seeds 1.4-2.3 x 0.9-1.6 mm, boat-shaped, pitted.

Flowering and Fruiting: February to May
Common Names: Persian Speedwell, Bird-eye Speedwell, Common Field Speedwell