Flora of New Zealand Series

water speedwell

Perennial with glabrous vegetative parts (a few hairs on some young lvs); stems ± decumbent, rooting at lower nodes, ascending to c. 60 cm, often very stout and succulent towards base. Lvs sessile, ± amplexicaul, 3-8.5 × 1-2.5-(4) cm, oblong to elliptic or elliptic-ovate, often lanceolate and very membranous when submerged, entire to remotely or occasionally closely serrulate; apex acute. Racemes axillary, opposite, towards ends of shoots, many-flowered, > lvs; peduncle to c. 20 cm long, glabrous or minutely glandular-hairy; pedicels 2-6 mm long, glabrous or minutely glandular-hairy at first, < the linear or linear-lanceolate bracts, but elongating considerably and curving upwards at fruiting. Calyx 3-4 mm long; lobes ovate or ovate-oblong, glabrous, short-acuminate but blunt at tip. Corolla 6-7 mm diam., often whitish with blue veins but appearing bluish mauve, sometimes pinkish mauve. Capsule c. 3 mm wide, suborbicular, somewhat glandular-ciliate. Seeds ovoid to oblong, convex on 1 side, flat on the other.

N.; S.: throughout all districts.

Temperate Eurasia 1853

Common and locally abundant, river banks, lake and pool sides, ditches, swamps and other wet places.

FL Jan-Dec.

Water speedwell is related to 2 other speedwells described here, V. americana and V. catenata. V. anagallis-aquatica, especially when small, is most likely to be confused with the latter. Occasional plants have some nodes with only 1 raceme instead of 2 and in that respect resemble V. scutellata. Water speedwell was first recorded as V. anagallis.