Thymeleaf Speedwell

Perennials. Rhizomes long, slender. Stems cespitose, creeping, erect from middle, 10-30 cm tall, often branched, villous with multicellular hairs, apically often with multicellular glandular hairs. Leaves sometimes alternate apically on stem, sessile, lower ones sometimes short petiolate; leaf blade ovate-orbicular to ovate-oblong, 0.8-2.5 X 0.7-1.5 cm, margin shallowly incised or rarely entire, veins 3-5 or pinnately veined. Racemes terminal, sometimes also axillary, 10-40-flowered, to 20 cm in fruit, with multicellular glandular hairs; lower bracts similar to leaves in shape. Pedicel 2-4 mm in flower, 4-6 mm in fruit. Calyx 4-lobed. Corolla color variable from almost white with blue lines to solid blue, purple, or purplish red, subrotate, ca. 4 mm. Capsule subreniform, strongly compressed, 2.5-3 X 4-5 mm, base rounded to subtruncate, margin glandular ciliate, apex obtuse and notched. Style ca. 2.5 mm. Seeds flattened, slightly convex on both sides. Fl. Apr-Jun. 2n = 14.

Gansu, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan [widely distributed in north temperate zones and subtropical alpine mountains].

Mountain meadows; 400-3700 m.

Veronica humifusa Dickson; V. serpyllifolia subsp. humifusa (Dickson) Syme; V. serpyllifolia var. humifusa (Dickson) Vahl.