IVY-LEAVED SPEEDWELL
Veronica hederifolia
Plantain Family [Plantaginaceae] 
|
|
Plantain Family [Plantaginaceae]
|
|
status
flower
inner
morph
petals
stem
sex
Veronica hederifolia ssp. hederifoliaSorry - no photos available |
Veronica hederifolia ssp. lucorum |
[lucorum]_2015_04_18_Stretford_BridgewaterCanal_027p2.jpg)
| 18th May 2015, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
| Adorning a brick wall. There was masses of it but had your Author shown an overall photo the reader would not be able to make out any of the tiny flowers. |
_Foxfield_2012_04_20_Broughton_275p0.jpg)
| 20th April 2012, Broughton in Furness, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| A sprawling mass of stems up to 50cm long. |
_2010_04_09_Macclesfield_Bollington_LymePark_Disley_017p1.jpg)
| 9th April 2010, nr Bollington, Cheshire. | Photo: © RWD |
_2010_04_09_Macclesfield_Bollington_LymePark_Disley_017p05.jpg)
| 9th April 2010, nr Bollington, Cheshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Sepals are reddish-brown. Those of un-opened flowers resemble a four-flanged heart or philips screw-driver head. All parts (except petals and inner components of the flower) have conspicuous white hairs, mostly on the edges of leaves and sepals. |
_2010_04_09_Macclesfield_Bollington_LymePark_Disley_018p00.jpg)
| 9th April 2010, nr Bollington, Cheshire. | Photo: © RWD |
_2010_04_09_Macclesfield_Bollington_LymePark_Disley_020p0.jpg)
| 9th April 2010, nr Bollington, Cheshire. | Photo: © RWD |
[lucorum]_2015_04_18_Stretford_BridgewaterCanal_505p44.jpg)
| 18th May 2015, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
| These bluish-tinged specimen(s) are still commensurate with the sub-species ssp. lucorum. |
[lucorum]_2015_04_18_Stretford_BridgewaterCanal_033p8.jpg)
| 18th May 2015, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
| These flowers are pale blue rather than pale pink, but your Author thinks they are still ssp. lucorum which can have either, also the stamens are white to pale lilac-blue fitting in to ssp. lucorum. |
[lucorum]_2015_04_18_Stretford_BridgewaterCanal_516p4.jpg)
| 18th May 2015, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
| The lower 'florets' looking like bellows for lighting fireplace fires are the beginings of the fruit. |
_2008_04_16_Tarporley_628p1.jpg)
| 16th April 2008, Tarporley, Cheshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Whole plant covered in longish hairs. |
_2008_04_16_Tarporley_628p3.jpg)
| 16th April 2008, Tarporley, Cheshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Stems brownish. Leaves Ivy-shaped. Tiny flowers lilac with four reddish sepals which never seem to open fully. |
_2008_04_16__Tarporley_632p5.jpg)
| 16th April 2008, Tarporley, Cheshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Leaves covered in longish hairs both surfaces. |
Lucorum_2019_03_20_Mcr_BridgewaterCanal_Sale_025p72.jpg)
| 20th March 2019, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
| A lilac coloured flower and the anthers are white to pale-blue still fitting in to ssp. lucorum |
_2010_04_09_Macclesfield_Bollington_LymePark_Disley_022p7.jpg)
| 9th April 2010, nr Bollington, Cheshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Lilac flowers with four bi-laterally symmetric petals, being just slightly zygomorphic. The most definitive difference between the two sub-species is that ssp. lucorum has either white or pale lilac whereas those of ssp. hederifolia are blue petals. |
[lucorum]_2015_04_18_Stretford_BridgewaterCanal_504p96.jpg)
| 18th May 2015, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
[ssp_]_2016_05_04_BridgewaterCanal_Dunham_601p3.jpg)
| 4th May 2016, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
[ssp_]_2016_05_04_BridgewaterCanal_Dunham_619p9.jpg)
| 4th May 2016, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
The 4 segments comprising the calyx are not fused into pairs (as they are in Crested Field-speedwell(Veronica crista-galli) |
[lucorum]_2015_04_18_Stretford_BridgewaterCanal_509p88.jpg)
| 18th May 2015, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
| The anthers of ssp. lucorum can be whitish to pale blue. |
[ssp_]_2016_05_04_BridgewaterCanal_Dunham_607p4.jpg)
| 4th May 2016, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
| Corolla 4-9mm across. There are only 2 stamens on Speedwells and a single shorter style, more visible on the photo above this one. |
[lucorum]_2015_04_18_Stretford_BridgewaterCanal_037p66.jpg)
| 18th May 2015, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
| Leaves with a variable number of lobes from 3 to 4 to 5. |
[lucorum]_2015_04_18_Stretford_BridgewaterCanal_031p6.jpg)
| 18th May 2015, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
| The leaves usually have 5 lobes, a wide one at the apex and two smaller ones each side but they can have just 3 lobes. |
_2008_04_16_Tarporley_630p4.jpg)
| 16th April 2008, Tarporley, Cheshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Palmate leaves similarly shaped to those of Ivy. More bluntly toothed than those of sub-species hederifolia. |
[ssp_]_2016_05_04_BridgewaterCanal_Dunham_615p5.jpg)
| 4th May 2016, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
| Stems hairy and rather succulent. Leaves hairy too. |
[ssp_]_2016_05_04_BridgewaterCanal_Dunham_617p7.jpg)
| 4th May 2016, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
| Leaves orbicular to reniform, with between 1 to 3 large lobed teeth on each side. |
Lucorum_2019_03_20_Mcr_BridgewaterCanal_Sale_023p11.jpg)
| 20th March 2019, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
| Some leaves here have 7 lobes and one near top right has 4 on one side plus another at the tip, potentially making 9 lobes if it is symmetrical (but we cannot see the rest). |
Lucorum_2019_03_20_Mcr_BridgewaterCanal_Sale_030p88.jpg)
| 20th March 2019, the Bridge PH, Stretford, Bridgewater Canal, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
| At last your Author has found a fruit (centre) (which is in two conjoined halves). [dead centre] |
|
Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature : A Speedwell with Ivy-shaped leaves.
There are two sub-species of Ivy-leaved Speedwell, ssp. lucorum) which is the more common and has lilac flowers and ssp. hederifolia which has light blue flowers. The books have it that:
2) The lobe at the tip of a leaf is wider than long on ssp. hederifolia and vice versa for ssp. lucorum 3) The pedicel which holds the fruit is between 2 to 4 times as long as the calyx on ssp. hederifolia (between 3.5 to 7 times for ssp. lucorum Corolla less than 6mm across on ssp. hederifolia (5 to 7mm for ssp. lucorum) Anthers blue 0.7 to 1.2mm long on ssp. hederifolia (0.4 to 0.8mm long and whitish to pale blue for ssp. lucorum) But this does not always work. It might be possible that hybrids between the two might spoil the party. |
 Veronica
|
hederifolia
|
⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ |
Plantaginaceae
|
  lucorum
|
sens. lat.
|
hederifolia
|
 Veronica (Speedwells) |
|
Plantain Family [Plantaginaceae]
|
