E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Veronica anagallis-aquatica L.
blue water speedwell (water speedwell)
Plantaginaceae (Mare's-tail family)
(Previously in Scrophulariaceae)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Jamie Fenneman  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #14617)

E-Flora BC Static Map
Distribution of Veronica anagallis-aquatica
Click here to view our interactive map and legend
Details about map content are available here
Click on the map dots to view record details.

Species Information

Click on the image below to view an expanded illustration for this species.



General:
Perennial or sometimes biennial, amphibious herb from a shallow creeping rhizome, smooth throughout or thinly glandular-hairy in the inflorescence; stems decumbent to erect, 10-70 cm long/tall, rooting at the lower nodes, simple to much-branched at the base, somewhat fleshy.
Leaves:
Opposite, mostly unstalked, somewhat clasping-based, elliptic to broadly lanceolate, 2-8 (10) cm long, 1.5-3 times as long as wide, usually distinctly but remotely toothed.
Flowers:
Inflorescences several long, rather narrow, opposite, stalked racemes arising from the axils of upper leaves, the racemes of to 30 or more stalked flowers, the flower stalks upcurved, 3-8 mm long, as long as or slightly longer than the reduced linear-lanceolate bracts; corollas blue to pale violet with darker lines, saucer-shaped, 5-10 mm across, irregularly 4-lobed, the lobes much longer than the short tube, the lowest lobe narrower than the others; calyces 3-6 mm long, deeply 4-lobed, the lobes unequal, broadly lanceolate; styles 1.5-3 mm long, exserted; stamens 2.
Fruits:
Capsules, 2.5-4 mm long, a little longer than wide, plump, somewhat globe-shaped, scarcely notched at the tip; seeds numerous, flattened, 0.3-0.5 mm long.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Wet meadows, ditches, edges of streams and lakes, and shallow water in the lowland and montane zones; rare in S and C BC; introduced from Europe.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Veronica anagallis-aquatica

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Minimum

Average

Maximum

Elevation (metres) 1 679 1630
Slope Gradient (%) 0 2 24
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
130 176 320
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
5 6 7
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
D
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
20
Modal BEC Zone Class
SBS
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: BG(4), CDF(4), CWH(1), IDF(4), MS(2), SBS(5)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Veronica lackschewitzii Keller
Veronica lackschewitzii Keller
Veronica anagallis L.
Veronica catenata var. glandulosa (Farw.) Pennell
Veronica comosa auct. non K. Richt.
Veronica comosa var. glaberrima (Pennell) B. Boivin
Veronica comosa var. glandulosa (Farw.) B. Boivin
Veronica connata auct. non Raf.
Veronica connata subsp. glaberrima Pennell
Veronica connata var. glaberrima (Pennell) Fern.
Veronica connata var. typica Pennell
Veronica glandifera Pennell
Veronica grandiflora Gaertn.
Veronica micromeria Woot. & Standl.
Veronica salina auct. non Schur

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References