Veronica serpyllifolia ssp. humifusa (Dickson) Syme
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TAXONOMY
 
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Genus: Veronica
 
Species Synonyms: Veronica humifusa Dickson
Veronica serpyllifolia var. borealis Laestad.
Veronica serpyllifolia var. humifusa (Dickson) Vahl
Veronica tenella All.
Veronicastrum serpyllifolium ssp. humifusum (Dickson) W.A. Weber
Common Names: brightblue speedwell
thyme-leaved speedwell
 
DISTRIBUTION
 
Canada: British Columbia – Alberta – southwestern Saskatchewan, Ontario – Quebec – Labrador – Newfoundland – Nova Scotia
Saskatchewan: southwestern Saskatchewan; Cypress Hills
Ecoregion: Cypress Upland
 
HABITAT
 
Saskatchewan: open woods and clearings
 
RARITY STATUS
 
Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):
Threatened
Nature Conservancy Status:
G5 S1
Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:
None
COSEWIC Status:
None
 
Brightblue speedwell is threatened because it is rare and regionally restricted to the southwestern corner of the province. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future.
 
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
 
Height: 5 – 30 cm
Roots: rhizomes present
Stems: ascending, often creeping at the base, simple or short-branched below, hairs spreading or absent
Leaves: on the stem, opposite, subsessile or stalk short, 1 – 2 cm long, 8 – 15 mm wide, elliptic to broadly oval, margin round-toothed to entire
Inflorescence: terminal, unbranched, distinct, 2.5 – 12 cm long, glandular-hairy; bracts lance-shaped; stalks 2.5 – 5 mm long
Flowers: sepals 4-lobed, lobes oval or oblong, short-hairy; petals 3 – 4 mm long, blue, tube hairy within; stamens 2; stigma solitary, head-like
Fruits: capsule notched, glandular-hairy; seeds pale brown, numerous, flat
 
VERONICA KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN
 
1 Flowers solitary in the leaf-axils
2
1 Flowers in axillary or terminal clusters
3
 
2 Flower stalks shorter than sepals; sepals linear to lance-shaped
V. peregrina ssp. xalapensis
2 Flower stalks longer than sepals; sepals broadly lance-shaped to oval
V. persica
 
3 Inflorescences terminal; annuals with thin roots
V. serpyllifolia ssp. humifusa
3 Inflorescences axillary; plants perennial, usually rhizomatous
4
 
4 Leaves short-stalked
V. americana
4 Leaves sessile
5
   
5 Leaves lance-shaped, 1.5 – 3 times longer than wide, clasping; inflorescences more than 30-flowered
V. anagallis-aquatica
5 Leaves linear, 3 – 5 times longer than wide, not clasping; inflorescences less than 25-flowered
V. scutellata