Veronica

Family: Scrophulariaceae. Some believe the plant is named after Saint Veronica; others that it derives from the Latin 'vera unica' — a true remedy. The stress falls on the second syllable.

Description: the genus includes about 300 species, distributed in all parts of the world, most widely in Europe (primarily in the Mediterranean) and in Asia. Veronicas occur as annual, biennial and perennial herbs, sometimes as subshrubs. Stems are erect or prostrate; leaves are opposite, alternate, or whorled. Small flowers are arranged in lateral or terminal racemose or spicate inflorescences. The corolla has a tube formed by petals fused at the lower part; in the upper part the petals remain unfused, free — this is the so-called corolla limb, which in veronicas may be wheel-shaped (rotate) or two-lipped in form. Petals are blue or light blue; pink and white forms occur but are rare. Still, in the forest and in the meadow we recognize veronica by its delicate thin blue (light-blue) petals (often with a white spot in the center of the flower). In the flower one can discern 2 stamens and 1 pistil with a long style. The fruit is a two-celled capsule with small seeds, opening by two valves.

It is hard to imagine that within such a large genus all species would be sufficiently similar to one another even by the main diagnostic characters. Indeed, the range of characters is very large, even within a single genus, and the boundaries with neighboring genera are blurred; conversely, certain groups of species within the genus are very close and may be separated into independent small or even monotypic (that is, containing only one species) natural genera.

Some botanists place a number of veronicas in the genus Veronicastram (Veronicastram):

Virginia veronica - Veronicastram virginica = Veronica virginica = Leptandra virginica
Siberian veronica - Veronicastram sibirica = Veronica sibirica = Leptandra sibirica

Sometimes a separate genus Pseudolysimachion (Pseudolysimachion) is recognized::

Long-leaved veronica - Pseudolysimachion longifolia = Veronica longifolia
Gray veronica - Pseudolysimachion incana = Veronica incana

In ornamental horticulture, perennial herbaceous veronica species are used:

Armenian veronica - V. armena
Large veronica - V. teucrium L. = V. austriaca
Branching, or bushy veronica - V. fruticans
Gentian-like veronica - V. gentianoides
Woody-stemmed, or shoot-forming veronica - V. surculosa
Woodland veronica - Veronica chamaedrys
Spike veronica - V. spicata
Crimean veronica - V. taurica
Common (medicinal) veronica - V. officinalis
Thread-like veronica - V. filiformis
Creeping veronica - V. repens
Brook veronica - V. beccabunda
Prostrate veronica - V. prostrata = V. rupestris
Steller's veronica - V. stelleri
Thyme-leaved veronica - V. serpyllifolia
Broad-leaved veronica - V. latifolia
Schmidt's veronica - V. Schmidtiana
Soil: ordinary garden soil. For spike veronica and gravel-loving types, gravel is added to the soil.

Care: after flowering the shoots are cut back, and the clump is renewed by new leaf growth. Winter protection is not required.

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