Corn Speedwell
Veronica arvensis
from Nearctica
Alien: Native of Europe and Asia.
Identification: Plant erect. Flowers solitary, arising from the leaf axils. Flowers nearly sessile to the leaf axils with short flower stalks (pedicels). Flowers blue, with 4 petals with darker blue streaks, and 2 spreading stamens. Lower petal smaller than lateral and top petals. Stem hairy. Leaves ovate, hairy, with sharply toothed outer margins, sessile to the stem except for basal leaves. Plant 3 to 10 inches in height.
Distribution: Found throughout North America.
Habitat: Corn Speedwell is a weedy species found in disturbed habitats such as lawns, fields, empty lots, and roadsides.
Flowering period: March to September.
Similar Species: A number of species of Veronica have solitary blue flowers and ivy-shaped leaves including Bird's-eye Speedwell, Persian Speedwell, and Gray Field Speedwell and are difficult to separate. However all three of these species have flowers on long flower stalks (pedicels) and not sessile to the leaf axils.