Veronica urticifolia, Jacq.

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 : 245

12. V. urticifolia Jacq. , Fl. Austr. 1:37 (1773)

( V. maxima auct., non Miller, V. latifolia auct., non L.).

Sparsely hairy; stem 25-70 cm, erect. Leaves 40-80 x 20-40 mm, triangular-ovate, inciseserrate, sessile. Racemes 5-10 cm, opposite, lax, in the axils of the terminal 1-5 pairs of leaves, a terminal raceme sometimes also present; pedicels 6-8 mm, exceeding the bracts, glandularpubescent, patent in fruit but turned sharply upwards just below the capsule. Calyx 2 mm; segments 4, elliptic-oblong, subequal. Corolla c. 7 mm in diameter, lilac. Capsule 3-5-4 x 4-5 mm, suborbicular but slightly wider than long, emarginate, cibate. 2«=18. Shady places; somewhat calcicole. • S. & C. Europe, from the Jura and Carpathians southwards to N.E. Spain, C. Italy and S. Greece, mainly in mountain districts but below 2000 m; also in C. & S. Ural. Al Au Bu?Cz Ga Ge G r He Hs It Ju Po Rm Rs (C, W). (13-17). V. austriaca group. Stems procumbent to erect, more or less hairy. Leaves entire to 2-pinnatisect, puberulent or pubescent. Racemes usually opposite. Calyx-segments (4)5, narrow, usually very unequal. Corolla 5-13(-l 7) mm in diameter, blue.

In this group have been included such species as have been confused with V. austriaca or have been included in it by some authors. Other species, such as 18, 19 and 20, which are not included in the group, may be as closely related, but are in practice more easily distinguished.

In most Floras the number of calyx-segments for plants of this group is given as 5, and they are usually keyed out on this character. The small fifth segment may, however, be absent not merely from individual flowers, but from whole plants or even whole populations or varieties. V. kindlii Adamovic , Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Math.-Nat. Kl. (Wien) 138 (1904), from the borders of Greece and Jugoslavia, should probably be placed in this group, but further material and information are required before its relationships can be determined. 1 Leaves pinnatisect

2 Capsule wider than long 14. multifida

2 Capsule suborbicular or longer than wide

3 Stems decumbent to ascending; leaves 6-15(-20) mm; internodes usually less than 15 mm; racemes 0-5-2 cm in flower, not more than 5(-7) cm in fruit 16. tenuifolia

3 Stems ±erect; leaves (12—)15—30 mm; intemodes usually more than 15 mm; racemes 1-5-5 cm in flower, 4-12 cm in fruit 13. austriaca

1 Leaves entire to pinnatifid

4 Pedicels 5-9 mm; capsule wider than long 15. orientalis

4 Pedicels 1-5 mm; capsule suborbicular or longer than wide

5 Calyx and capsule hairy 13. austriaca

5 Calyx and capsule glabrous

6 Stems procumbent to ascending 17. prostrata 6 Stems ± erect 13. austriaca