Veronica officinalis, L.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1972, Flora Europaea. Volume 3. Diapensiacea to Myoporaceae, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press : 247

27. V. officinalis L. , Sp. Pl. 11 (1753) .

Stems 10-50 cm, procumbent to ascending, hirsute to villous. Leaves 15-50x8-30 mm, ovate to elliptical, serrate, softly hairy; petiole 2-6 mm. Racemes 3-6(-10) cm, erect, opposite, dense, glandular-hairy; pedicels 1-3 mm; bracts 3-5 mm. Calyx 2-5-3 mm; segments 4, oblong, subequal. Corolla c. 8 mm in diameter, dull lilac-blue. Capsule c. 4 x 4 mm, obdeltate to slightly obcordate, pubescent. 2« =18, 36. Woods and heaths. Almost throughout Europe. All except BI Cr Sb. Variants with small, glabrous leaves, villous peduncles, deeply obcordate capsules, and sometimes with deep blue corolla are recorded from a few localities in N.W. & N.C. Europe. They are in some features transitional between 27 and 28, and their status is not clear.