Species

Veronica scutellata

Etymology

Veronica: Named after Saint Veronica, who gave Jesus her veil to wipe his brow as he carried the cross through Jerusalem, perhaps because the common name of this plant is 'speedwell'. The name Veronica is often believed to derive from the Latin vera 'truth' and iconica 'image', but it is actually derived from the Macedonian name Berenice which means 'bearer of victory'.

Common Name(s)

marsh speedwell

Authority

Veronica scutellata L.

Family

Plantaginaceae

Brief Description

Sprawling perennial herb up to 30 cm tall with opposite narrow stalkless leaves and small (c. 1 cm across) white flowers.

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

VERSCU

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Distribution

Found locally in Thames, Waikato, Manawatu, Wairarapa, Canterbury, Dunedin and the West Coast.

Habitat

Shallow water, swamps and margins of waterways.

Features

Glabrous herb with upright stems c. 5 to 20 cm in length. The leaves are sessile, entire or sparsely toothed 2 - 6 cm x 0.1-1.2 cm. The flowers are in racemes that are slender and spreading, alternating in opposite pairs of leaves. Flowers are small (6mm across), and whitish in colour with purple veins. Capsule 3-4.5 mm wide.

Similar Taxa

Distinguished by its alternate flower stalks, linear leaves and white flowers with purple veins.

Flowering

Summer to autumn

Flower Colours

Violet / Purple,White

Fruiting

Autumn

Year Naturalised

1924

Origin

Temperate Eurasia

Reason for Introduction

Probably a soil seed contaminant or contaminant of ornamental pond plants

Control Techniques

Not controlled in New Zealand.

Attribution

Factsheet prepared by Paul Champion and Deborah Hofstra (NIWA).

References and further reading

Johnson PN, Brooke PA (1989).  Wetland plants in New Zealand.   DSIR Field Guide, DSIR Publishing, Wellington. 319pp.

Popay et al (2010).  An illustrated guide to common weeds of New Zealand, third edition.  NZ Plant Protection Society Inc, 416pp.

This page last updated on 21 Aug 2013