Veronica spicata L. var. hybrida
Perennial herb with erect hairy stems, shallowly toothed, lance-shaped leaves and densely-flowered, terminal spikes of blue flowers. To 60cm. [RHSD]. This plant is not a hybrid and is now considered to be a form of Veronica spicata L. which see.
Horticultural & Botanical History
‘V. hybrida. Welsh Speedwell. Larger and rather more hairy, especially about the calyx, than the preceding [Veronica spicata L.], having usually 1 or 2 lateral spikes, or rudiments of them. The lower leaves are nearly ovate, being abrupt at the base, towards the footstalks. All the leaves are of a broader, rather elliptical, figure; their serratures stronger, more copious and general, and their hue a more grassy green. These two species are certainly very near akin, but Professor Schrader, one of the greatest European botanists, keeps them distinct.’ [The English Flora vol.1, p.17/1824].
Figured as a variety of Veronica spicata in English Botany: ‘Whole plant larger, and with broader leaves than in var. [genuina]’ [English Botany vol.6, p.162, t.DCCCCLXXXIII/1866].
A native of Britain and no doubt used since ancient times for garden decoration.
History at Camden Park
Listed only in the 1857 catalogue [T.983/1857].
Notes
Published Mar 29, 2009 - 03:27 PM | Last updated Mar 30, 2010 - 02:36 PM
Veronica spicata L. var. hybrida | English Botany vol.6, t.DCCCCLXXXIII/1866
| Family | Scrophulariaceae |
|---|---|
| Category | |
| Region of origin | Britain, particularly Wales |
| Synonyms |
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| Common Name | |
| Name in the Camden Park Record | Veronica hybrida |
| Confidence level | high |