Veronica agrestis L.
Hairy annual; stems much-branched, decumbent, to c. 30 cm tall. Lvs shortly petiolate. Lamina 6-22 × 4-17 mm, ovate or ovate-oblong, coarsely and irregularly crenate-serrate; base truncate to cordate; apex obtuse. Fls axillary, solitary, in axils of lvs similar to vegetative lvs; pedicels c. 5 mm long at flowering, usually < subtending lvs, much longer at fruiting. Calyx c. 3 mm long; lobes ovate-elliptic or ovate-oblong, prominently ciliate, otherwise glabrous or nearly so, obtuse, accrescent. Corolla 5-6 mm diam.; upper lobe pale blue; other lobes white or very pale blue; veins deep blue. Capsule 5-6 mm wide, deeply 2-lobed; lobes ± erect, rounded on outer edge, with prominent raised nerves, with almost straight glandular cilia, otherwise glabrous or glabrate. Seeds broadly elliptic, concave on 1 face, irregularly transversely ridged on convex side.
N.: Auckland; S.: Christchurch, Fiordland (Chalky Inlet); K.: Raoul Id, not persisting.
Europe, N. Africa 1867
Waste places, short turf.
FL Oct-Feb.
V. agrestis is a very rare sp. in N.Z. despite Allan's (1940) claim that it was common in waste places, cultivated land and open pasture in both islands. It is extremely doubtful that the sp. has ever been common because there are few specimens although the whitish fls would probably attract the attention of collectors. Sykes (1977) noted that Kermadec specimens collected by Cheeseman are really V. persica, but one collection (AK 94093, Sunday Island, Cheeseman, Jul. 1887) is in fact a mixed gathering which includes V. agrestis.
The fl. colour and capsule hairiness are the best characters to distinguish V. agrestis from its close relative V. polita. V. agrestis is called field speedwell in Great Britain, a name applied to V. arvensis in N.Z.
