Plantain Family [Plantaginaceae] |
status
flower
morph
petals
type
stem
rarity
sex
12th June 2019, flanks, Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales | Photo: © RWD |
A small group of them, tapered like household radiator cleaner brushes. Stems are erect and grow up to 60cm (sometimes 80cm) [Common Rock-Rose in foreground]. From further away it can resemble the similarly coloured bluish-purple flower spikes of Viper's Bugloss, which stands at a similar height. |
12th June 2019, flanks, Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales | Photo: © RWD |
The wider leaves are basal. The stems have just a few leaves which are in opposite pairs and are less wide than the basal leaves. |
16th June 2009, Great Orme, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
Grows on short turf up to 60cm tall, shorter on high ground as here. A spike of brilliantly blue flowers. Oppositely paired leaves. |
16th June 2009, Great Orme, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
Flowers are four-petalled with prominent stamens. Stems brownish and covered in hairs. |
12th June 2019, flanks, Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales | Photo: © RWD |
There are two anthers (both about as long as the single concolorous stigma with style which is hardly wider than the stigma). Both filaments and stigma are concolorous with the petals, but the amthers are a darker purple, sometimes bluish-purple. |
12th June 2019, flanks, Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales | Photo: © RWD |
Everything is hairy (apart from the petals and flowers) even the calyx tube and teeth. Flowers just beginning to open here. |
16th June 2009, Great Orme, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
Flowers are really an intense blue-purple. Stamens prominent. |
16th June 2009, Great Orme, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
The flowers un-furl from a pointed bud. |
16th June 2009, Great Orme, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
Prominent stamens. |
12th June 2019, flanks, Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales | Photo: © RWD |
Flowers die from the bottom upwards. There are as-yet unopened flowers at the tip of the flower slike. |
16th June 2009, Great Orme, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
Stem leaves in opposite pairs up the stem and slightly wavy and browned at the edges. Covered in hairs. The stem is slightly thinner above each pair of leaves. |
12th June 2019, flanks, Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales | Photo: © RWD |
Stem leaves and basal leaves. |
12th June 2019, flanks, Great Orme, Llandudno, North Wales | Photo: © RWD |
Hybridizes with : Uniquely identifiable characteristics Taxonomists, in their infinite wisdom, have deemed that the Speedwells no longer belong to the Foxglove and Figwort Family, but to the Plantain Family.
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Veronica | spicata | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Plantaginaceae |
Veronica (Speedwells) |
Plantain Family [Plantaginaceae] |