3(2). Capsules higher than wide; stem usually somewhat dccumhent at base, 

 sparsely to densely villous-hirsute with laxly spreading hairs; leaves 

 glabrous or villous-hirsute like the stem; filaments 1-1.5 mm. long 

 2. V. Wormskjoldii. 



3. Capsules wider than high; stem tending to creep at base and to produce lower 



branches, finely and closely puberulent; leaves glabrous or nearly 

 so; filaments mostly 2-4 mm. long 3. V. serpyllifolia. 



4(1). Leaves all short-petiolate 4. V. americana. 



4. Leaves sessile (at least the middle and upper ones) (5) 



5(4). Leaves 1.5 to 3 times as long as wide; fruiting pedicels mostly strongly 

 ascending or upcurved; capsules about as high as wide or a little 

 higher; flowers blue or violet 5. V. Anagallis-aquatica. 



5. Leaves mostly 3 to 5 times as long as wide; fruiting pedicels divaricately 



spreading; capsules mostly a little wider than high; flowers white 

 to pink or pale-bluish 6. V. catenata. 



1. Veronica peregrina L. Purslane speedwell, necklace weed. Fig. 700. 



Annual, erect, simple or with spreading branches, to 3 dm. high, glabrous 

 throughout or pubescent with gland-tipped hairs; leaves sessile or with the lower 

 somewhat petioled, usually linear-oblong, obtuse, dentate to entire; flowers in 

 spiciform leafy-bracted terminal racemes; pedicels 1-2 mm. long; sepals 4, linear- 

 oblong to oblanceolate, obtuse, about 3 mm. long; corolla white, 2-2.5 mm. 

 wide; filaments very short; style about 0.3 mm. long; capsule 3—3.5 mm. long. 



In water of tanks and streams, open flatwoods, swamps, marshes, wet meadows, 

 about lakes and ponds, prairies and dune areas in Okla. {Waterfall) , throughout 

 most of Tex.. N.M. (Otero, San Miguel, Taos, Catron, Lincoln, Sandoval, Rio 

 Arriba and Grant cos.) and Ariz. (Coconino, Yavapai, Pima, Apache and Santa 

 Cruz COS.), Feb. -June; throughout most of N.A., introd. in many parts of the 

 world. 



Represented in our area by two variants. 



L Plant glabrous var. peregrina. 



\. Plant pubescent with short gland-tipped hairs that are usually present even on 

 the capsules var. xalapensis (H.B.K.) Penn. 



2. Veronica Wormskjoldii R. & S. Fig. 690. 



Perennial from a loose or compact system of shallow rhizomes; stems simple, 

 erect or curved-ascending at base, 1-3 dm. tall, sparsely to densely villous-hirsute 

 with loosely spreading hairs, the inflorescence more densely so and somewhat 

 viscid or glandular; leaves all cauline, sessile, opposite or the uppermost ones 

 alternate, elliptic to lanceolate or ovate, 1-4 cm. long and to 2 cm. wide, rounded 

 to acute at apex, villous-hirsute like the stem or sometimes glabrous, slightly 

 toothed to entire; flowers with pedicels 2-4 mm. long, in well-defined terminal 

 racemes that are at first compact but later often elongate; at least the upper 

 bracts usually alternate; calyx lobes ovate-lanceolate to oblong, villous; corolla 

 deep blue-violet, 6-10 mm. wide when expanded; filaments 1-1.5 mm. long; 

 style 1-3 mm. long; capsules glandular-pubescent, broadly notched, 4-7 mm. 

 high and a little less wide; seeds numerous, about 1 mm. long. 



In wet mossy areas, seepage bank of lake, bogs, wet meadows, upland marshes 

 and edge of stream, in N. M. (Taos, Santa Fe and San Miguel cos.) and Ariz. 

 (Apache and Coconino cos.), June-Aug.; Greenl. to Alas., s. to N. H., N.M., 

 Ariz, and Calif. 



3. Veronica serpyllifolia L. 



Perennial from a loose or compact branching system of creeping rhizomes; 

 stems 1-3 dm. long, finely and closely puberulent, tending to creep at the base 



1491 



