Family: Plantaginaceae
Veronica plebeia
Citation:
R. Br., Prod. Fl. Nov. Holl. 435 (1810).
Synonymy: Veronica plebeja Common name: Trailing speedwell, creeping speedwell.
Description:
Sprawling perennial herb, with scandent to erect branches 4-17 cm long, puberulent with very short eglandular hairs all around the branches and in 1 row on the rhachis and pedicels, also sometimes on the leaves, bracts and sepals, sometimes (especially outside S. Aust.) with a few longer eglandular hairs at the nodes or at the base of the leaves; leaves opposite, connected across the node by a ridge, with petioles 3-16 rarely 25 mm long, shortest but over half the length of the blade in distal parts, the blade ovate, 3-25 x 2-22 mm, serrate, the teeth often unequal, with veins more obscure than in V. calycina.
Racemes in upper axils, 2-8-flowered, the bracts 3-7.5 mm long, entire or rarely with 1 or 2 teeth, the pedicels 2-5 rarely 8 mm long; sepals 4, obovate, c. 3-4 mm long, in S. Aust. enlarging to 6-8 mm in fruit; corolla of unknown colour, with 4 rounded lobes c. 3 mm long; anthers broad, c. 0.8 mm long; stigma 0.1-0.2 mm diam.
Capsule loculicidal, greatly compressed, broad-obovate to transverse-elliptic, 2.8-4.8 x 3.4-5 mm, truncate to broadly shallow-emarginate, sparsely puberulent, with a persistent style 0.9-1.5 mm long.
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Image source: fig. 596E in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).
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Published illustration:
Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 602.
Distribution:
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Rare; in S.Aust. in shallow soils amongst rocks in sclerophyllous scrub.
S.Aust.: FR, EP, NL, YP, SL. W.Aust.; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas.
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Conservation status:
native
Flowering time: Oct. — Nov.
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SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
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Biology:
Perennials of wet habitats; racemes axillary; bracts smaller than the leaves, subulate; pedicels short. Naturalised. (Species 6).
Author:
Not yet available
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