Notes on Veronica verna

Fig. 1. Veronica verna L., winter annual individuals in spring (Finland, Lohja, Maksjoki, 2001). – Image: Harri Harmaja (scanned from dried specimen). – In V. verna (Scrophulariaceae), summer annuals are commoner than winter annuals which have a leaf rosette, developed in the preceding season, at the stem base. The habitat was eutrophic, human-influenced rock outcrops, with e.g. Arabidopsis suecica.

Fig. 2. Veronica verna L. var. simplex Spenn. (Finland, Mäntyharju, Salola, 1987). – Image: Harri Harmaja (scanned from dried specimen). – At least the upper cauline leaves are lobed in typical V. verna. The variety simplex differs in having all leaves unlobed, the margin only being beset with one or two low teeth. V. verna var. simplex is apparently very infrequent, and its taxonomic value remains to be elucidated. A mixed stand was found in the Finnish habitat, also consisting of a few typical plants of V. verna. The habitat was the dry margin of a hayfield on an esker, and it housed a rich flora of plants of open sites, such as Arabidopsis suecica, Anthemis tinctoria (?), Satureja acinos, and Veronica arvensis.