Veronica arvensis, common names: wall speedwell, corn speedwell, common speedwell, rock speedwell,Veronica arvensis at USDA PLANTS Database field speedwell,Popay I., Champion P. & James T. (2010). An Illustrated Guide to Common Weeds of New Zealand, Third edition. p. 286. New Zealand Plant Protection Society (Inc.), Christchurch, New Zealand. . 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.
Description It is a hairy, erect to almost recumbent, annual herb, 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, 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 and shorter than the bracts. The fruit capsules are heart-shaped and shorter than the sepal-teeth. It flowers from April to October.
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 It is native to Africa, Asia and Europe.Veronica arvensis at Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN)
Growth Veronica arvensis plants go through changes in their germination 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 . If they do not make the first autumn cycle of growth, they can grow in the following spring.
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.
References
External links Farmanagh Species Account – Biological account from Farmanagh, Ireland Flora of North America – Botanical description