Veronica serpyllifolia

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Veronica serpyllifolia
Veronica serpyllifolia W.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. serpyllifolia
Binomial name
Veronica serpyllifolia
L.

Veronica serpyllifolia, the thyme-leaved speedwell [1] or thymeleaf speedwell, [2] is a perennial flowering plant in the plantain family. It is native to Europe, but can be found elsewhere on most continents as an introduced species.

Description

Veronica serpyllifolia L. initially grows low to the ground then will start to grow upright. The flowers are small, white, and have dark purple marks on their petals. The leaves are oval, borne on creeping stems. Roots grow from leaf axils. The prostrate stems bear erect flowering branches up to 20 cm high. The leaves are opposite on short stalks. The flowers are in racemes with a corolla 6 mm wide. [3] The first leaves of the seedling have no petiole, are hairless, and have a smooth margin. Their stems grow from nodes on the rhizomes, allowing it to grow in thick mats close to the ground. The lower leaves are oval and have smooth margins. The upper leaves are oval shaped but smaller than the lower leaves. The lower leaves have relatively short stalks, while the higher or upper leaves are stalkless (lack petioles). [4] Flowers have four petals and grow from the leaf axils. [5] The fruits are capsules. The capsules are obcordate or heart shaped, mostly flattened and have a pubescent outer layer with a notched tip. Veronica serpyllifolia capsules are approximately 2.5-3.5 mm long. [4] Once the capsules are mature, they open to release many small seeds. Their root systems are both fibrous and rhizomatous. [6] The fruit is lined with hairs and the seeds on the inside of the capsule are also flattened. This plant can be hard to spot as it is relatively small and grows in patches which can be covered by grass. They are more noticeable when they bloom. [7] Veronica serpyllifolia reproduces either by dropping its seeds or by rooting stems. [4]

Veronica serpyllifolia can grow in low mats. Tijmereprijs plant (Veronica serpyllifolia).jpg
Veronica serpyllifolia can grow in low mats.
Veronica serpyllifolia capsules. Veronica serpyllifolia pods.jpg
Veronica serpyllifolia capsules.

Distribution

Veronica serpyllifolia L., commonly known as thyme-leaved speedwell, is native to Europe and is introduced to North America and New Zealand.[ citation needed ] As of 2010, it is known to occur in 37 of the US states and is considered a weed in North America. Veronica serpyllifolia frequently occurs in open grass lands and cultivated areas on lighter soils. [8] Veronica serpyllifolia grows in full sunlight, tolerates partial shade, and thrives in a moist environment during the spring . [6] They can grow in elevations up to 3300 m. [9]

Ecology

Pollinators of V. serpyllifolia include flies and bees that visit the flowers for nectar. The seeds can be dispersed by attaching onto the wings of birds or the fur of some animals. Veronica serpyllifolia seeds were found in cattle dung, thus cattle or other grazers are likely important dispersers of the plant. [10]

Weed control

Veronica serpyllifolia grows in patches and is commonly recognized as a weed of turf grass. Ways to remove V. serpyllifolia from lawns are by mowing and watering and fertilizing lawns properly, this hinders the weeds ability to compete. [6] The use of herbicide is recommended for the complete removal of this species from a yard or a lawn. Picking the weed and pulling the roots out can work but this risks the further dispersal of seeds on the lawn. [5] One study showed that wiping herbicides onto the plant rather than spraying it helps to better remove of the species. It stated that wiping method worked better and the spray on method caused harm to other grasses surrounding the weeds. [11]

Synonyms

Synonyms of Veronica serpyllifolia include: Veronicastrum serpyllifolium (L.) Fourr. and Veronica serpyllifolia L. var. nummularioides Lecoq & Lamotte. [12]

Wetland plant status

Veronica serpyllifolia is able to grow in both jurisdictional wetlands and non-wetlands. [13] According the wetland plant classification system in the United States, V. serpyllifolia is classified as a facultative (FAC) to obligate (OBL) wetland plant. [14]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Allium vineale</i> Species of flowering plant

Allium vineale is a perennial, bulb-forming species of wild onion, native to Europe, northwestern Africa and the Middle East. The species was introduced in Australia and North America, where it has become an Invasive species.

<i>Rumex obtusifolius</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae

Rumex obtusifolius, commonly known as bitter dock, broad-leaved dock, bluntleaf dock, dock leaf, dockens or butter dock, is a perennial plant in the family Polygonaceae. It is native to Europe, but is found on all temperate continents. It is a highly invasive species in some zones, resulting from its abundant seed dispersal, adaptability to reproduce, aggressive roots, ability to tolerate extreme climates, and hardiness.

<i>Polygonum arenastrum</i> Species of flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae

Polygonum arenastrum, commonly known as equal-leaved knotgrass, is a summer annual flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae. Other common names include common knotweed, prostrate knotweed, mat grass, oval-leaf knotweed, stone grass, wiregrass, and door weed, as well as many others. It is native to Europe and can be found on other continents as an introduced species and a common noxious weed. Knotweed was first seen in North America in 1809 and is now seen across much of the United States and Canada.

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

Veronica chamaedrys, the germander speedwell, bird's-eye speedwell, or cat's eyes, is a herbaceous perennial species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae.

<i>Veronica</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae

Veronica is the largest genus in the flowering plant family Plantaginaceae, with about 500 species. It was formerly classified in the family Scrophulariaceae. Common names include speedwell, bird's eye, and gypsyweed.

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

Veronica persica is a flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. Common names include birdeye speedwell, common field-speedwell, 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, North America, eastern Asia, including Japan and China, and Australia and New Zealand.

<i>Alopecurus myosuroides</i> Species of grass

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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 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>Bromus hordeaceus</i> Species of grass

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weed</span> Plant considered undesirable in a particular place or situation

A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, growing where it conflicts with human preferences, needs, or goals. Plants with characteristics that make them hazardous, aesthetically unappealing, difficult to control in managed environments, or otherwise unwanted in farm land, orchards, gardens, lawns, parks, recreational spaces, residential and industrial areas, may all be considered weeds. The concept of weeds is particularly significant in agriculture, where the presence of weeds in fields used to grow crops may cause major losses in yields. Invasive species, plants introduced to an environment where their presence negatively impacts the overall functioning and biodiversity of the ecosystem, may also sometimes be considered weeds.

<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.

Thyme is any member of the genus Thymus of aromatic herbs with culinary, medicinal, and ornamental uses.

<i>Crepis tectorum</i> Species of flowering plant

Crepis tectorum, commonly referred to as the narrowleaf hawksbeard or narrow-leaved hawk's-beard, is an annual or winter annual plant between 30 and 100 centimetres in height. Originating in Siberia before being introduced to Canada in 1890, the narrowleaf hawksbeard's is an invasive species. Maintaining one branched, hairless and leafy stem during maturity, the narrowleaf hawksbeard has yellow leaves which are arranged in an alternate manner and less than 0.5 inches (13 mm) wide.

<i>Croton glandulosus</i> Species of plant

Croton glandulosus is a species of plant in the family Euphorbiaceae that has many common names such as vente conmigo, tooth-leaved croton, tropic croton and sand croton. The species's specific epithet, glandulosus, is due to the gland-like structures that appear at the end of the leaf stalk. C. glandulosus and various other species are found to be common weeds in gardens, crops, and lawns. This species in particular is highly problematic in crops such as cotton and peanuts in the Southeastern United States.

<i>Polygonum majus</i> Species of flowering plant

Polygonum majus is a North American species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name wiry knotweed. It grows in the western United States and western Canada, from British Columbia south as far as the Sierra Nevada of northwestern Inyo County in California, east as far as Montana. Knotweed is a spreading, wiry annual weed that rarely grows higher than a few inches. The leaves are tiny, oblong, bluish-green, and 14 inches broad and 1 inch long. The flowers are tiny and unobtrusive, whitish-green in colour, and appear in the leaf axils in the fall. Knotweed may grow into a dense mat with a diameter of up to three feet, strangling out ideal grass and plants. The branches of this evergreen plant form a strong, wiry mat that reaches barely a few centimeters above the earth. They appear constantly, and gardeners are always fighting them.

<i>Lolium rigidum</i> Species of grass

Lolium rigidum is a species of annual grass. Common names by which it is known include annual ryegrass, a name also given to Italian ryegrass, rigid ryegrass, stiff darnel, Swiss ryegrass and Wimmera ryegrass. It is a native of southern Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent and is grown as a forage crop, particularly in Australia, where it is also a serious and economically damaging crop weed.

Broadleaf weeds are unwanted tough plants that may grow in lawns, gardens or yards. They can be easy to spot when growing among grasses. They multiply with ease and can be very hard to eradicate.

<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.

References

  1. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  2. "Thymeleaf speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia)". UC IPM. Retrieved 2019-04-25.
  3. Parnell, John A. N.; Cullen, Elaine L.; Webb, D. A.; Curtis, Tom (2011). Webb's An Irish Flora. Cork: Cork University Press. ISBN   978-1-909005-08-2. OCLC   830022856.
  4. 1 2 3 "Weed Gallery: Thymeleaf speedwell". ipm.ucanr.edu. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  5. 1 2 "Lawn and Turfgrass Weeds: Thyme-leaf Speedwell". Penn State Extension. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  6. 1 2 3 "Thyme-Leaved Speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia)". www.illinoiswildflowers.info. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
  7. "Veronica serpyllifolia (Thyme-leaf Speedwell): Minnesota Wildflowers". www.minnesotawildflowers.info. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
  8. "Anthecology of Veronica serpyllifolia subsp. serpyllifolia (Plantaginaceae) in Moscow region". Растительный Мир Азиатской РоссииРастительный мир Азиатской России (4). 2017. doi:10.21782/rmar1995-2449-2017-4(42-46). ISSN   1995-2449.
  9. "Veronica serpyllifolia - FNA". beta.floranorthamerica.org. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
  10. Welch, D. (August 1985). "Studies in the Grazing of Heather Moorland In North-East Scotland. IV. Seed Dispersal and Plant Establishment in Dung". The Journal of Applied Ecology. 22 (2): 461–472. Bibcode:1985JApEc..22..461W. doi:10.2307/2403178. ISSN   0021-8901. JSTOR   2403178.
  11. Harrington, K. C.; Hood, M. Z.; McKinnon, K. C. (2000-08-01). "Assessment of two herbicide wiping devices". New Zealand Plant Protection. 53: 273–276. doi: 10.30843/nzpp.2000.53.3707 . ISSN   1179-352X.
  12. "USDA Plants Database". plants.sc.egov.usda.gov. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
  13. "Veronica serpyllifolia ssp. humifusa Calflora". www.calflora.org. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
  14. "NWPL Home v3.4-f9c". cwbi-app.sec.usace.army.mil. Retrieved 2021-12-08.