| Veronica nivea | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Veronica nivea Lake Mountain, Victoria | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Plantaginaceae |
| Genus: | Veronica |
| Species: | V. nivea |
| Binomial name | |
| Veronica nivea | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Veronica nivea, the milfoil speedwell or snow speedwell, is a flowering plant species of the family Plantaginaceae, endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is sometimes included in the genus Parahebe or Derwentia. [2]
It is a subshrub which grows to between 15 and 50 cm high. The pinnately divided leaves are 1.5 to 3 cm long. The flowers are white, pale lilac or bright blue and appear in racemes of 20 to 40 in summer. [3]
The species occurs in alpine and subalpine grassland, heathland and woodland in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. [3] In New South Wales it is recorded in Kosciuszko National Park [3] while in Victoria it is known from the Baw Baw plateau as well as areas including Mount Buffalo, Lake Mountain and Falls Creek. [4] It is often found on disturbed sites. [5]
The Latin specific epithet nivea means "white as snow" . [6]