Common name: Slender Speedwell
Veronica gracilis R.Br. APNI*
Description: Perennial herb with slender rhizomes to 60 cm long; flowering stems usually 3–25 cm high, with fine but rigid recurved or spreading hairs to 0.5 mm long, mostly limited to lateral bands.
Leaves with lamina lanceolate to linear, mostly 1–3 cm long, 1.5–9 mm wide, apex attenuate, base tapering sharply, margins entire or with 1–4 pairs of spreading or recurved acute teeth; petiole 1–2 mm long.
Racemes lateral, mostly 1.5–5 cm long, mostly 1–6-flowered; peduncle 15–20 mm long; bracts 4–6 mm long; pedicels to 15 mm long. Calyx lobes 7.5–8 mm long, c. 2.5 mm wide in fruit, margins with very short spreading or recurved hairs 0.1–0.2 mm long towards base, and short rigid hairs near apex. Corolla 5–8 mm long, pale lilac or blue with darker veins.
Capsule obovate, 3–4 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, slightly emarginate, with scattered fine erect hairs towards apex, glossy.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in swampy sites in grassland or eucalypt woodland; mainly on the tablelands.
NSW subdivisions: SC, NT, CT, ST, CWS, SWS
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas. S.A.
Text by B. G. Briggs, B. Wiecek & A. J. Whalen Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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