Veronica polita - Grey Field-Speedwell

Grey Field-Speedwell is an annual herb with spreading stems 10-30 cm long. Oppositely arranged leaves are in 1-3 pairs, on 1-5 mm long stalks. Leaves are ovate to round 5-11 X 4-9 mm, whitish hairy on the underside, sparsely velvety to smooth above. Margin is revolute with 2-4 deeply incised teeth per side. Flowers are borne in long racemes at the end of branches. Each flower is subtended by a leaf-like bract. Flower stalk is 6-13 mm in fruit, equalling or slightly shorter than the bract, recurved. The closely related flower Persian Speedwell has flower-stalks much longer than the bracts. Sepals are 4, elliptic to ovate, slightly dilated in fruit, 4-6 X 2.5-4 mm. Flowers are usually pinkish-blue, rarely white, flat, 4-7 mm in diameter. Petals are round to ovate. Stamens are shorter than the flower. Capsule is kidney- shaped 3-4 X 4-6 mm, very slightly compressed, apically notched at an acute angle. Lobes are rounded, densely glandular pubescent. Style is usually 1-1.6 mm, about as high as notch to slightly protruding. Flowering: March-October.