Persian speedwell

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Persian speedwell
• bird's-eye speedwell
• large field speedwell
• Buxbaum's Speedwell
• Common Field-Speedwell
• bird's-eye
• bird-eye speedwell
• bird’s-eye speedwell
• common field speedwell
• creeping speedwell
• creeping veronica
• Bird's Eye Speedwell
• Birds-eye Speedwell
• Scrambling speedwell
• VERPER

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Veronica tournefortii subsp. restrictior
• Veronica persica var. corrensiana
• Veronica tournefortii subsp. aschersoniana
• Veronica tournefortii var. albiflora
• Veronica persica var. aschersoniana
• Veronica tournefortii subsp. corrensiana
• Veronica precox
• Veronica tournefortii var. aschersoniana
• Veronica tournefortii var. corrensiana
• Veronica hospita
• Cardia filiformis
• Veronica meskhetica
• Veronica persica var. minor
• Veronica buxbaumii var. kochiana
• Veronica persica var. microphylla
• Veronica persica var. macrophylla
• Veronica persica var. rosea
• Veronica alpiphila
• Veronica tournefortii var. brachypoda
• Veronica diffusa
• Veronica tournefortii var. microphylla
• Veronica areolata
• Veronica tournefortii var. macrophylla
• Veronica persica var. brachypoda
• Veronica persica var. albiflora
• Veronica byzantina
• Pocilla persica

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Lamiales, it is classified under the family Plantaginaceae and is identified by the genus Veronica.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a notable presence across several regions within Northern Europe. It can be found growing naturally in the coastal and inland areas of Denmark. In the northern territories, its distribution extends into the landscapes of Finland. The species is also well-established across the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. Additionally, its range reaches the remote and rugged terrain of Iceland.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Veronica persica is characterized by its remarkable adaptability to diverse environments, ranging from sea level up to an elevation of 3000 m AMSL. It frequently colonizes anthropized areas (Área Antrópica), thriving in human-disturbed habitats such as gardens, roadsides, and agricultural fields where soil conditions may be altered by human activity. This wide elevational range, spanning from 0 to 3000 m AMSL, underscores its ability to tolerate varying climatic conditions and atmospheric pressures across different altitudinal gradients.

Elevational range max:

3000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica

Life history

The life history of Veronica persica is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning it completes its entire developmental process from germination to seed production within a single growing season. As a therophyte, the plant survives unfavorable periods through resistant seeds rather than through persistent vegetative structures above ground. In terms of its physical presence, it exhibits an evergreen nature, maintaining its foliage throughout its active growth period. This specific life strategy allows the species to rapidly colonize disturbed habitats and exploit seasonal resources before returning to a seed state.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Veronica persica is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and forb. This terrestrial plant exhibits a prostrate shoot orientation and is entirely self-supporting, lacking any climbing or parasitic tendencies. In terms of dimensions, the plant typically reaches a height ranging from a minimum of 0.03 m to a maximum of 0.7 m, with a mean plant height of approximately 0.24 m. The shoots themselves vary in length, with measurements recorded between a minimum of 10 cm and a maximum of 30 cm. As an independent terrestrial species, it does not function as an epiphyte or a climber, maintaining a low-growing, non-woody structure.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.7 m

Plant height mean:

0.241666666666667 m

Plant height min:

0.03 m

Shoot length max:

30 cm

Shoot length min:

10 cm

Shoot orientation :

prostrate

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Veronica persica is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, typical of many temperate herbaceous plants, and it does not function as a nitrogen fixer. As a non-carnivorous species, its nutrient acquisition relies on standard soil uptake rather than the capture of prey. The plant's leaf morphology plays a critical role in its resource management, featuring an ovate leaf form with a mean leaf size of approximately 4.95333 cm². The leaves exhibit significant variability in dimensions, with a mean leaf length of 1.3 cm (ranging from a minimum of 0.4 cm to a maximum of 3.5 cm) and a mean leaf width of 1.15 cm (ranging from a minimum of 0.3 cm to a maximum of 2.5 cm). Furthermore, the plant maintains a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 396 cm²/g, indicating a high degree of leaf plasticity and efficiency in light interception relative to its biomass.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf form :

ovate

Leaf length max:

3.5 cm

Leaf length mean:

1.3 cm

Leaf length min:

0.4 cm

Leaf size mean:

4.95333 cm²

Leaf width max:

2.5 cm

Leaf width mean:

1.15 cm

Leaf width min:

0.3 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

396 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Veronica persica is primarily sexual, characterized by bisexual flowers that facilitate efficient breeding processes. These flowers are distinctively blue in color and range in width from 0.8 cm to 1.5 cm. The flowering period is quite extensive, typically beginning in April and continuing through December. Pollination is achieved through biotic means, specifically involving insects and flies. The plant is capable of self-fertilization, which aids in its reproductive success. Following pollination, the plant develops dry, dehiscent capsules as its fruit type. These capsules typically measure between 0.4 cm and 0.6 cm in length, with an average length of 0.5 cm, and a width ranging from 0.6 cm to 1 cm, averaging 0.75 cm. Each fruit is highly productive, containing between 101 and 1000 seeds. The seeds themselves are quite small, with an average length of 1.5 mm and a consistent volume of approximately 0.86 mm³. In terms of mass, the seeds vary from a minimum of 0.00035 g to a maximum of 0.00352 g, with a mean mass of approximately 0.000827 g. Dispersal of these seeds occurs through both anemochorous (wind) and anthropochorous (human-mediated) syndromes. Notably, asexual reproduction is absent in this species.

Dehiscence :

dehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Flower colour :

blue

Flower width max:

1.5 cm

Flower width min:

0.8 cm

Flowering time :

Apr

Flowering time :

Dec

Fruit dryness :

dry

Fruit length max:

0.6 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.5 cm

Fruit length min:

0.4 cm

Fruit type :

capsule

Fruit width max:

1 cm

Fruit width mean:

0.75 cm

Fruit width min:

0.6 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

fly

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed length mean:

1.5 mm

Seed mass max:

0.00352 g

Seed mass mean:

0.000827333333333333 g

Seed mass min:

0.00035 g

Seed volume max:

0.86 mm³

Seeds_per_fruit :

101-1000

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Veronica persica has 5 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Vanillic acid, apigenin, caffeic acid, gentisic acid, p-Hydroxybenzoic acid.

Vanillic acid

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

apigenin

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

caffeic acid

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

gentisic acid

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

p-Hydroxybenzoic acid

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Veronica persica has 2 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Free-Radical Scavenging.

Antioxidant

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Free-Radical Scavenging

1. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)

Conditions

Veronica persica has 8 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include HSV-1, HSV-2, antioxidant activity, cutaneous leishmaniasis, herpes simplex viruses.

Hsv-1

1. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)

Hsv-2

1. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)

Antioxidant activity

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Cutaneous leishmaniasis

1. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)

Herpes simplex viruses

1. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)

Hypertension

1. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)

Skin diseases

1. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)

Type 2 diabetes

1. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)

Preparations

Veronica persica has 4 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include conjugated phenolic extract, free phenolic extract, free soluble and conjugated phenolic extracts, phenolic-rich extracts.

Conjugated phenolic extract

1. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)

Free phenolic extract

1. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)

Free soluble and conjugated phenolic extracts

1. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)

Phenolic-rich extracts

1. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)