Veronica arvensis
Plant species in the veronica family
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Veronica arvensis, common names: wall speedwell,[2]: 592 corn speedwell, common speedwell, rock speedwell,[3] field speedwell,[4] 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.[2]
| Veronica arvensis | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Plantaginaceae |
| Genus: | Veronica |
| Species: | V. arvensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Veronica arvensis | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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List
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Description
It is a hairy, erect to almost recumbent, annual herb, 9 to 40 centimetres (3.5 to 15.7 in) high from a taproot. The leaves are oppositely arranged in pairs about the stem. The lower leaves have short petioles; the upper are sessile. Each leaf, 1.5 to 2.5 centimetres (0.59 to 0.98 in) in length, is ovate, or triangular with a truncated or slightly cordate base, with coarse teeth. Borne in a raceme, initially compact but elongating with age, the flowers are pale blue to blue-violet, 2 to 3 mm in diameter, four-lobed with a narrow lowest lobe. Flower stalks are 0.5 to 2 millimetres (0.020 to 0.079 in) and shorter than the bracts. The fruit capsules are heart-shaped and shorter than the sepal-teeth. It flowers from April to October.[2]
Similar species – V. arvensis has stem leaves incised rather than well-lobed; similar species include Veronica verna, which has well-lobed stem leaves but when they are few, the plant as a whole can resemble V. arvensis.
Distribution
Growth
Veronica arvensis plants go through changes in their germination[6] due to temperature and light that control the timing of growth in buried seed reserves. These plants tend to germinate in consistent temperature ranges of 10–15 °C (50–59 °F).[citation needed] If they do not make the first autumn cycle of growth, they can grow in the following spring.[citation needed]
Uses
It is a medicinal plant.
Uses (Ethnobotany): The herb is alterative, antiscorbutic and diuretic. It has been used for the treatment of scurvy, impurities of the blood etc. It is also used as a remedy for scrofulous affections, especially of the skin, and is bruised and applied externally for healing burns and ulcers.[7]
