GARDEN × SPIKED SPEEDWELL
Veronica spicata × longifolia
Plantain Family [Plantaginaceae] 
|
|
Plantain Family [Plantaginaceae]
|
|
status
flower
inner
morph
petals
type
stem
sex
_2009_07_08_Southport_dunes_Ainsdale_Freshfields_179p1.jpg)
| 8th July 2009, Birkdale (Mature) Sand Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Up to twice as tall and majestic than Spiked Speedwell. |
_2009_07_08_Southport_dunes_Ainsdale_Freshfields_170p8.jpg)
| 8th July 2009, Birkdale (Mature) Sand Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Intense blue very long spike of flowers. |
_2009_07_08_Southport_dunes_Ainsdale_Freshfields_171p9.jpg)
| 8th July 2009, Birkdale (Mature) Sand Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Spike of flowers much longer than spike of Spiked Speedwell. |
_2009_07_08_Southport_dunes_Ainsdale_Freshfields_161p00.jpg)
| 8th July 2009, Birkdale (Mature) Sand Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Four intense-blue petals with prominent pink or mauve (when unopened) or deep-blue (when opened) stamens, a little reminiscent of Viper's Bugloss. |
_2009_07_08_Southport_dunes_Ainsdale_Freshfields_161.jpg)
| 8th July 2009, Birkdale (Mature) Sand Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Stamens just as prominent as those of Spiked Speedwell. |
_2009_07_08_Southport_dunes_Ainsdale_Freshfields_162p3.jpg)
| 8th July 2009, Birkdale (Mature) Sand Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| The pale mauve to white styles with a blue single discoidal stigma are slightly longer than the stamens. |
_2009_07_08_Southport_dunes_Ainsdale_Freshfields_161p2.jpg)
| 8th July 2009, Birkdale (Mature) Sand Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| The seed heads of spent flowers. |
_2009_07_08_Southport_dunes_Ainsdale_Freshfields_166p7.jpg)
| 8th July 2009, Birkdale (Mature) Sand Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| The leaves have very pronounced curved teeth, quite unlike the smooth nature of the leaves of Spiked Speedwell. The leaves are also less hairy. |
_2010_08_16_Birkdale257p6.jpg)
| 16th Aug 2010, Birkdale (Mature) Sand Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Same plants 14 months later. A bit more mature. |
_2010_08_16_Birkdale257p9.jpg)
| 16th Aug 2010, Birkdale (Mature) Sand Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| 16th Aug 2010, Birkdale (Mature) Sand Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Many flowers at the bottom of the flowering spike have turned to fruit. The otherwise similar Spiked Speedwell is shorter and does not have toothed leaves. |
_2010_08_16_Birkdale254p3.jpg)
| 16th Aug 2010, Birkdale (Mature) Sand Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Lower down the flower spike the petals drop off leaving the long stamens sticking out. still with anthers sticking out. |
_2010_08_16_Birkdale256p5.jpg)
| 16th Aug 2010, Birkdale (Mature) Sand Dunes, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Stamens still with anthers on at the bottom. Still some flowers yet to open at the summit. |
|
Easily confused with :
The Hybrid of : Spiked Speedwell with Grows on older sand dunes in the Sefton Coast area of Merseyside.
|
 Veronica
|
spicata × longifolia
|
⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ |
Plantaginaceae
|
 Veronica (Speedwells) |
|
Plantain Family [Plantaginaceae]
|
BSBI maps