European speedwell
(Veronica beccabunga)
This species is Introduced in the United States
ORIGIN: Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean
GROWTH TRAITS: Emergent, herbaceous aquatic perennial that is rooted to the substrate with branched stems growing 8"-2' (20-60 cm) long and forming creeping clumps by regularly rooting at stem nodes. Stems are smooth, thick, often prostrate but erect at their tips, and green but turning reddish with maturity. Leaves are opposite, ovate, coarsely toothed, smooth, often fleshy, and have prominent veins. Leaves are up to 1.5" (3.8 cm) long and have short petioles; they do not clasp the stem. Flowers are produced in small, spreading clusters in opposite pairs from leaf axils in spring and early summer. These are often obscured by larger leaves. Each flower has 4 small, bluish-purple, darkly-veined petals and a white center. Fruits are small, round, flattened capsules that split at maturity to release numerous smooth, winged, flattened seeds. In temperate regions, plants die back to roots and may re-sprout the following spring.
REPRODUCTION: Spreads by seed and fragmentation. Seed longevity is unknown, but seeds of other Veronica species are viable for three to many years. Stem fragments root from nodes.
HABITAT: Colonizes marshy wetlands and the edges of rivers, lakes, and streams. It can be found in full sun to partial shade.
LOOK-ALIKES: Though many other aquatic species have emergent purplish flowers and/ or opposite leaves, European speedwell can be differentiated by having 4-petal flowers with white centers, and relatively short leaves than most unrelated look-alikes. There are several native and exotic species of Veronica in North America. European speedwell differs from many in being aquatic with smooth stems. The very similar native American speedweel (V. americana) often grows taller (up to 3.3' or 1 m), has longer, lance-shaped leaves up to 3.2" or 8 cm long, and its petioles are so short that leaves often appear to clasp the stem.
CITATIONS:
Rawlins, K.A., R.L. Winston, C.T. Bargeron, D.J. Moorhead, and R. Carroll. 2018. New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral United States. USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Assessment and Applied Sciences Team, Morgantown, West Virginia. FHTET-2017-04. Retrieved from https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/pdf/FHTET-2017-04_New%20Invaders_NE.pdf
GROWTH TRAITS: Emergent, herbaceous aquatic perennial that is rooted to the substrate with branched stems growing 8"-2' (20-60 cm) long and forming creeping clumps by regularly rooting at stem nodes. Stems are smooth, thick, often prostrate but erect at their tips, and green but turning reddish with maturity. Leaves are opposite, ovate, coarsely toothed, smooth, often fleshy, and have prominent veins. Leaves are up to 1.5" (3.8 cm) long and have short petioles; they do not clasp the stem. Flowers are produced in small, spreading clusters in opposite pairs from leaf axils in spring and early summer. These are often obscured by larger leaves. Each flower has 4 small, bluish-purple, darkly-veined petals and a white center. Fruits are small, round, flattened capsules that split at maturity to release numerous smooth, winged, flattened seeds. In temperate regions, plants die back to roots and may re-sprout the following spring.
REPRODUCTION: Spreads by seed and fragmentation. Seed longevity is unknown, but seeds of other Veronica species are viable for three to many years. Stem fragments root from nodes.
HABITAT: Colonizes marshy wetlands and the edges of rivers, lakes, and streams. It can be found in full sun to partial shade.
LOOK-ALIKES: Though many other aquatic species have emergent purplish flowers and/ or opposite leaves, European speedwell can be differentiated by having 4-petal flowers with white centers, and relatively short leaves than most unrelated look-alikes. There are several native and exotic species of Veronica in North America. European speedwell differs from many in being aquatic with smooth stems. The very similar native American speedweel (V. americana) often grows taller (up to 3.3' or 1 m), has longer, lance-shaped leaves up to 3.2" or 8 cm long, and its petioles are so short that leaves often appear to clasp the stem.
CITATIONS:
Rawlins, K.A., R.L. Winston, C.T. Bargeron, D.J. Moorhead, and R. Carroll. 2018. New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral United States. USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Assessment and Applied Sciences Team, Morgantown, West Virginia. FHTET-2017-04. Retrieved from https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/pdf/FHTET-2017-04_New%20Invaders_NE.pdf
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State Lists - This map identifies those states that have this species on their invasive species list or law.
Invasive Listing Sources
- Invasive Plant Species of West Virginia
- National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
- New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral
- Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
- West Virginia Native Plant Society, Flora West Virginia Project, and West Virginia Curatorial Database System, September 3, 1999
Taxonomic Rank
| Domain: Eukarya |
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Superorder: Asteranae |
| Order: Lamiales |
| Family: Plantaginaceae |
| Genus: Veronica |
| Veronica beccabunga |
References
Common Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Scientific Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.