Forum Flora Germanica

1. Taxonomy of Veronica barrelieri H.Schott ex Roemer & Schultes (1817: 94)
Description
Veronica barrelieri has often been confused and regarded to be conspecific with V. spicata and V. orchidea. Diagnostic characters distinguishing it from these are, therefore, underlined. Perennial herb, rhizome woody, prostrate, slender, 2–4 mm thick, 10 cm long, likely longer, much branched, roots
arising from all along the rhizome. Stems ascending, (20)30–50 cm tall, glabrous (subspp. nitens and andrasovszkyi) or with hairs on the upper part of the stem patent (curved upwards in V. orchidea; patent to reflexed or flexuous and appressed in V. spicata), subrigid or ± crispate, 0.3–1 mm long, exclusively glandless hairs (mostly glandular in V. spicata). Leaves petiolate (petioles up to 15 mm) below, sessile above, ovate to oblanceolate, 40–80 mm × 10–20 mm, margin crenate, base attenuate, apex obtuse, surface glabrous (subspp. nitens and andrasovszkyi) or with indumentum on both sides similar as that of the stem, margins ciliate (subsp. nitens) or not, remaining greenish when dry (blackening in V. orchidea). Inflorescence solitary, rarely with two lateral inflorescences, 10–15 cm long, densely 80–150-flowered sparsely to densely eglandular pubescent, without unpleasant smell (as in V. orchidea), bracts subulate, 3–5 mm long. Pedicels 1 mm long, pubescent. Flowers: calyx 2–3 mm long, surface glabrous (sometimes pubescent in V. orchidea and V. spicata), margin glabrous or with glandless, stiff cilia, 0.1–0.5 mm long; corolla caducous (persistent in V. orchidea and V. spicata), 5–7 mm long, white to blue; all corolla lobes erecto-patent, 3–5 mm × 1.5–2 mm, narrowly triangular to narrowly ovate (upper lobe ovate with linear apex, other lobes sublinear in V. orchidea; narrowly ovate in V. spicata), not or only slightly twisted at the top (as in V. orchidea); stamens 7 mm long (4–5 mm in V. orchidea and V. spicata); style 8 mm long (2–5 mm long in V. orchidea). Capsule ovoid, 3 mm long, 3 mm wide, apex truncate, with a few, 0.2–0.7 mm long straight hairs, otherwise glabrous. Seeds 2–21 per capsule, 0.7–1.1 mm × 0.5–0.8 mm, 0.2–0.4 mm thick. 2n = 4x, 8x = 34, 68; published chromosome numbers deviating from this are considered misinterpretations due to the small size and sticky nature of chromosomes in the subgenus (Albach et al. 2008).