Veronica hederifolia 睫毛婆婆納

Common name: Ivy-leaved Speedwell
Scientific name: Veronica hederifolia 睫毛婆婆納
Genus: Veronica 婆婆納屬
Family: Plantaginaceae 車前草科, 車前科, plantain family

Remarks: Veronica was formerly classified in the family Scrophulariaceae 玄參科, figwort family.

There are two subspecies of Veronica hederifolia 睫毛婆婆納. Their differences are as follows:

Ssp. hederifolia: apical leaf lobe wider than long; pedicel 3-4 times as long as calyx; corolla mostly equal to or more than 6 mm across, whitish blue; anthers blue.

Ssp. lucorum: apical leaf lobe longer than long; pedicel 3.5-7 times as long as calyx; corolla mostly equal to or less than 6 mm across, whitish pale lilac; anthers white-pale blue.

Origin: Archaeophyte (established before 1500 AD). It has a European Southern-temperate distribution.

Date:  25th & 28thMarch

A prostrate plant.

Plant is leaning against the fence.

Leaves with 1-3 large teeth or lobes (could see 5 lobes in the above photo); apical leaf lobe wider than long, hence it is the Ssp. hederifolia (vs apical leaf lobe longer than long in Ssp. lucorum)

The flower bud. Note the pedicel is 3-4 times as long as calyx, hence it is the Ssp. hederifolia (vs pedicel is 3.5-7 times as long as calyx in Ssp. lucorum)

However, the petal is whitish pale lilac, it indicates that it would be the  Ssp. lucorum ? Very confusing.....hybrids?  (vs whitish blue petals in Ssp. hederifolia)

2 anthers , 1 style in the above photo; anthers are white-pale blue, also indicates it is the Ssp. lucorum ? (vs anthers are blue in Ssp. hederifolia)

flower solitary in axil of leaves

capsule

glabrous fruit