Veronica persica

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Veronica persica
Veronica persica 060403Fw.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Veronica
Species:
V. persica
Binomial name
Veronica persica
Synonyms [1]
  • Pocilla persica(Poir.) Fourr.
  • Veronica persica var. persicaPoir.
  • Veronica persica var. aschersoniana(Lehm.) B. Boivin
  • Veronica persica var. corrensiana(Lehm.) B. Boivin

Veronica persica is a flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. Common names include birdeye speedwell, [2] common field-speedwell, [3] Persian speedwell, large field speedwell, bird's-eye, or winter speedwell. It is native to Eurasia and is widespread as an introduced species in the British Isles (where it was first recorded in 1825 [4] ), North America, eastern Asia, including Japan and China, and Australia and New Zealand.

Contents

Description

Veronica persica is an annual that reproduces from seed.

Its cotyledons are triangular with truncated bases. The short-stalked leaves are broadly ovate with coarsely serrated margins, and measure one to two centimetres (0.4 to 0.8 in) long. The leaves are paired on the lower stem and are alternately arranged on the upper parts. The plant has weak stems that form a dense, prostrate groundcover. The tips of stems often grow upright.

The flowers are roughly one centimetre (0.4 in) wide [5] and are sky-blue with dark stripes and white centers. They are zygomorphic, having only one vertical plane of symmetry. They are solitary on long, slender, hairy stalks in the leaf axils.

The seeds are transversely rugose and measure between one and two millimetres (0.04 and 0.08 in) long. There are five to 10 seeds per locule in the fruit. [6]

Photographic examples can be seen on iNaturalist.

Similar species - Veronica persica fruit have lobes that widely diverge to form a spreading 'V', and solitary flowers emerging from the stem with the leaf stalks, whilst the flower stalks are regularly much longer than the leaves. Similar species include Veronica polita and Veronica agrestis (whose fruit lobes are parallel and flower stalks are shorter than or equal to the leaves), Veronica crista-galli (whose flowers and fruits are smaller than the calyx, and the calyx is formed of two bilobed parts not four unlobed parts), Veronica filiformis (whose small round leaves are smaller than or equal to the flowers]], Veronica chamaedrys and Veronica montana (whose flowers are not solitory but form short unleafy spikes of flowers), and Veronica hederifolia (whose flowers are small and leaf lobing has a different appearance). [7]

Habitat

The plant grows in fields and lawns. It prefers moist conditions and grows well in loamy soil. [8]

Horticultural uses

Although many species in the genus are used in gardens (such as V. exalta , V. incana , V. gentianoides , V. longifolia , V. perfoliata , and V. spicata ), [9] this species is generally seen as a weed [10] and has no known horticultural uses.

Herbal medicine

Afghani herbalist, Mahomet Allum, used the plant to treat patients with heart trouble, in Adelaide, Australia, in the mid-20th century. [11] It is also used for snakebite treatment, hemorrhaging, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and as an expectorant. [12]

Further reading

Related Research Articles

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<i>Veronica arvensis</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

Veronica arvensis, common names: wall speedwell, corn speedwell, common speedwell, rock speedwell, field speedwell, 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.

<i>Veronica agrestis</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

Veronica agrestis, the green field-speedwell is a species of flowering plant in the Plantaginaceae (Plantain) family. It is native to Europe, western Asia and North Africa, and has been introduced to eastern North America, India and some other countries.

<i>Veronica hederifolia</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

Veronica hederifolia, the ivy-leaved speedwell, is a flowering plant belonging to the family Plantaginaceae. It is native to Europe, western Asia and north Africa and it is present in other places as an introduced species and a common weed. Solitary blue flowers occur in leaf axils, each with a corolla up to one centimetre (0.4 in) wide. The fruit is a dehiscent capsule.

<i>Veronica polita</i> Species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae

Veronica polita, the grey field-speedwell is a species of flowering plant in the Plantaginaceae (Plantain) family. It is native to Europe, southwestern Asia, North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and a few nearby countries, and has been introduced to many countries worldwide particularly as a weed of cultivation.

<i>Veronica serpyllifolia</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

Veronica serpyllifolia, the thyme-leaved speedwell or thymeleaf speedwell, is a perennial flowering plant in the plantain family. The species as a whole is native mostly to Eurasia & North America, and has three variants with their individual ranges; var. serpyllifolia has particularly spread beyond its native range.

<i>Veronica derwentiana</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

Veronica derwentiana, commonly known as Derwent speedwell, is a flowering plant species of the family Plantaginaceae, endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a perennial with toothed leaves and white or pale blue flowers in terminal sprays in spring and summer.

<i>Veronica anagallis-aquatica</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

Veronica anagallis-aquatica is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae known by the common names water speedwell, blue water-speedwell,brook pimpernel.

<i>Veronica filiformis</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

Veronica filiformis is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. It is known by many common names, including slender speedwell, creeping speedwell, threadstalk speedwell and Whetzel weed. It is native to eastern Europe and western Asia, and it is known in many other regions as an introduced species.

<i>Veronica scutellata</i> Species of flowering plant

Veronica scutellata is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names marsh speedwell, skullcap speedwell, and grassleaf speedwell. It is native to temperate Asia, Europe, northern Africa, and northern North America in a variety of wet habitats.

<i>Veronica triphyllos</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

Veronica triphyllos is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name finger speedwell, or fingered speedwell. It is native to Europe, western Asia and NW Africa, but introduced to some parts of the United States.

<i>Veronica perfoliata</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

Veronica perfoliata, commonly known as digger's speedwell, is a common perennial herb found at higher altitudes in south-eastern Australia. It is a low-growing multi-stemmed plant rising from a woody rootstock. It has rounded blue-grey foliage and sprays of intense violet-blue flowers at the end of arching branches. It is occasionally cultivated as a garden plant.

<i>Veronica calycina</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae

Veronica calycina, commonly known as hairy speedwell or cup speedwell, is a flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. It is a trailing perennial with dark green leaves, purple-blue flowers and is endemic to Australia.

<i>Veronica montana</i> Species of flowering plant

Veronica montana or wood speedwell is a perennial species of flowering plant from the genus Veronica. It also belongs to the family Plantaginaceae.

<i>Veronica verna</i> Species of flowering plant

Veronica verna is a species of flowering plant in the Plantaginaceae (Plantain) family known as spring speedwell. It is native to Europe, south-western Asia and Morocco, but introduced to some parts of the United States.

<i>Veronica catenata</i> Species of plant in the genus Veronica

Veronica catenata, the pink water speedwell, is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. It is native to Canada, the United States, Europe, the Azores, and northern Africa. As its common name implies, it prefers growing in or near marshes, rivers, lakes and ponds.

Veronica crista-galli, the crested field-speedwell, is an annual flower in the family Plantaginaceae native from Iran north to the North Caucasus.

References

  1. "Veronica persica". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  2. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Veronica persica". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  3. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  4. Blamey, M., et al. 2003. Wild flowers of Britain and Ireland: The Complete Guide to the British and Irish Flora. A & C Black, London.
  5. Rhoads, A. F. and T. A. Block. Plants of Pennsylvania: An Illustrated Manual, 2nd ed. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia. 2007.
  6. Gleason, H. A. and A. Cronquist. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada, 2nd ed. New York Botanical Gardens, New York, New York. 1991.
  7. Peter Sell & Gina Murrell. Flora of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. 3, p. 464-474.
  8. "Bird's Eye Speedwell (Veronica persica)". Illinois Wildflowers. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  9. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants or the Modern Florilegium, 2nd ed. J. M. Dent and Sons, London. 1992.
  10. Veronica persica. USDA Plants Database.
  11. Amirul Husni Affifudin (2018). "Historical Archaeology Report: Mahomet Allum Khan". doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.23125.27365.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)[ unreliable source? ]
  12. Salehi, Bahare; Shivaprasad Shetty, Mangalpady; V. Anil Kumar, Nanjangud; Živković, Jelena; Calina, Daniela; Oana Docea, Anca; Emamzadeh-Yazdi, Simin; Sibel Kılıç, Ceyda; Goloshvili, Tamar; Nicola, Silvana; Pignata, Giuseppe; Sharopov, Farukh; del Mar Contreras, María; C. Cho, William; Martins, Natália; Sharifi-Rad, Javad (4 July 2019). "Veronica Plants—Drifting from Farm to Traditional Healing, Food Application, and Phytopharmacology". Molecules. 24 (13): 2454. doi: 10.3390/molecules24132454 . PMC   6651156 . PMID   31277407.