**Veronica anagallis-aquatica L. (Scrophulariaceae)**

**Water Speedwell**

**Description**. Aquatic, herbaceous perennial, 1-8 dm tall; stems erect
to ascending, simple to branched, glabrous. Leaves 2-8 cm long, 0.5 to 3
cm wide, glabrous, lower ones obovate to oblanceolate, subsessile, upper
ones elliptic to ovate, clasping, margins entire to serrate or sharply
crenate, apices acute to obtuse, the bases rounded to cordate.
Inflorescence a raceme, terminal or in the upper axils. Flowers
bilateral, pedicellate, the pedicels 4-8 mm long, calyx 3-6 mm long,
lobes four, distinct, lanceolate; corolla 3-10 mm wide, bilateral, with
3 large lobes and 1 (lower) small lobe, blue; stamens 2, all fertile,
exserted; ovary superior, style 1, stigma capitate. Fruit a capsule, 3-4
mm long, globose; seeds few. In California, flowering from April to
August. (Fernald 1950, Gleason and Cronquist 1991, Holmgren 1984, 1986,
Munz 1959, Pennell 1951, Walters and Ebb 1972, Webb et al. 1988, Welsh
et al. 1987, Wetherwax 1993).

*Veronica anagallis-aquatica* produces iridoid glycosides, which are
known to render plants unpalatable to certain insects (Komorowski and
Swiatek 1982, Lahloub et al. 1993).

**Geographic distribution**. A native of Eurasia and northern Africa,
water speedwell has become naturalized throughout North America, South
America, Australia, New Zealand, and southern Africa. (Arnold and de Wet
1993, Chapman 1991, Holmgren 1984, 1986, Montenegro et al. 1991, Munz
1959, Pennell 1921, Silvestre 1981, Webb et al. 1988).

First reported from northern California (Brewer et al. 1876), water
speedwell was treated by Jepson (1925) as "rare", without comment on
nativity. It was not considered naturalized by Robbins (1940). Pennell
(1921, 1951) and Munz (1959) apparently were the first to report it as
an alien species. It has been reported from Santa Cruz Island (Junak et
al. 1997), and is widely distributed on mainland California (Anonymous
1998, Wetherwax 1993).

**Reproductive and vegetative biology**: Apparently, the reproductive
biology of water speedwell has not been studied. In Europe, other
species of *Veronica* (*V. beccabunga*, *V. chamaedrys*) are
self-compatible and pollinated by hoverflies (Proctor et al. 1996). No
other literature regarding its reproductive or vegetative biology was
found.

**Ecological distribution**. Water speedwell is generally an emergent
that occurs on sand bars, ditches, in slow-moving streams, and in wet
meadows (Fernald 1950, Gleason and Cronquist 1991, Holmgren 1984, 1986,
Munz 1959, Pennell 1951, Walters and Webb 1972, Webb et al. 1988, Welsh
et al. 1987).

**Weed status.** *Veronica anagallis-aquatica* is not considered a
noxious weed in agricultural or horticultural practice, at least at a
global level (not listed by Holm et al. 1977), nor is it listed for the
United States in Lorenzi and Jeffery (1987). It is not considered a
noxious weed by the State Dept. of Food and Agriculture (Anonymous
1996).

**Microbial and insect pathogens**. No literature was found that
reported microbial or insect pathogens of water speedwell.

**Herbicide Control**. No literature was found that reported herbicide
control of water speedwell.

**Literature Cited**

Anonymous. 1996. Exotic pest plants of greatest ecological concern in
California as of August 1996. California Exotic Pest Plant Council. 8
pp.

Anonymous. 1998. California county flora database version 2, Santa
Barbara Botanic Garden and USDA National Plants Data Center, Santa
Barbara and New Orleans. URL = plants.usda.gov

Arnold, T. and B. de Wet. 1993. Memoir 62. Plants of southern Africa:
names and distribution. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria. 825 pp.

Brewer, W., S. Watson, and A. Gray. 1876. Geological Survey of
California. Volume 1. John Wilson, University Press, Cambridge,
Massachusetts. 622 pp.

Chapman, A. 1991. Australian plant name index. Q-Z. Australian
Government Publishing Service, Canberra. pp. 2477-3055.

Fernald, M. 1950. Gray's Manual of Botany. Eighth Edition. American Book
Company, New York. 1632 pp.

Gleason, H. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of the vascular plants of
northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. 2nd edition. New York
Botanic Garden, Bronx. 910 pp.

Holm, L., D. Plucknett, J. Pancho, and J. Herberger. 1977. The world's
worst weeds: distribution and ecology. University Press of Hawaii,
Honolulu. 609 pp.

Holmgren, N. 1984. Scrophulariaceae. pp. 344-506. In Cronquist et al.
Intermountain flora. Volume 4. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New
York. 573 pp.

Holmgren, N. 1986. Scrophulariaceae. pp. 751-797. In Great Plains Flora
Association. 1986. Flora of the Great Plains. University of Kansas,
Lawrence. 1392 pp.

Jepson, W. 1925. A manual of the flowering plants of California.
University of California, Berkeley. 1238 pp.

Junak, S., S. Chaney, R. Philbrick, and R. Clark. 1997. A checklist of
vascular plants of Channel Islands National Park. Southwest Parks and
Monuments Association, Tucson, AZ. 43 pp.

Komorowski, T. and L. Swiatek. 1982. Chemical constituents of *Veronica
anagallis- aquatica* L. Herba Polonica. 28: 123-131.

Lahloub, M., M. Zaghlooul, M. Afifi, and O. Sticher. 1993. Iridoid
glucosides from *Veronica anagallis-aquatica*. Phytochemistry. 33:
401-405.

Lorenzi, H. and L. Jeffery. 1987. Weeds of the United States and their
control. Van Nostrand Company, New York. 355 pp.

Montenegro, C., S. Teillier, P. Arce, and V. Poblete. 1991. pp. 103-114.
In Groves, R. and F. Di Castri. Biogeography of Mediterranean invasions.
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 485 pp.

Munz, P. 1959. A flora of California. University of California Press,
Berkeley. 1681 pp.

Pennell, F. 1921. *Veronica* in North and South America. Rhodora 23:
1-22; 29-41.

Pennell, F. 1951. Scrophulariaceae. pp. 686-859. In Abrams, L.
Illustrated flora of the Pacific states. Volume 3. Geraniaceae to
Scrophulariaceae. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. 866
pp.

Proctor, M., P. Yeo, and A. Lack. 1996. The natural history of
pollination. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 479 pp.

Robbins, W. 1940. Alien plants growing without cultivation in
California. Agricultural Experiment Station. Bulletin 637. University of
California, Berkeley. 128 pp.

Silvestre, M. 1981. Flora fanerogamica da Reserva do Parque Estadual das
Fontes do Ipiranga (Sao Paulo, Brasil). 148. Scrophulariaceae. Hoehnea.
9: 115-117.

Walters, S. and D. Webb. 1972. *Veronica*. pp. 242-251. In Tutin et al.
(eds). Flora Europaea. Volume 3. Plantaginaceae to Compositae. Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge. 370 pp.

Webb, C., W. Sykes, and P. Garnock-Jones. 1988. Flora of New Zealand.
Volume 4. Naturalized pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons.
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Christchurch. 1365 pp.

Welsh, S., N. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L. Higgins. 1987. A Utah Flora.
Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs 9: 1-894.

Wetherwax, M. 1993. *Veronica*. p. 1066-1067. In Hickman, J. (ed.). The
Jepson manual: Vascular plants of California. University of California
Press, Berkeley. 1400 pp.