Veronica persica

Veronica persica (common names: birdeye speedwell, common field-speedwell, Persian speedwell, large field speedwell, bird's-eye, or winter speedwell) is a flowering plant native to Eurasia. It is widespread as an introduced species in the British Isles where it was first recorded in 1825, in North America and eastern Asia, including Japan and Taiwan.


The cotyledons are triangular with truncated bases. The short-stalked leaves are broadly ovate with coarsely serrated margins, and measure 1 to 2 cm long. The leaves are paired on the lower stem and are alternately arranged on the upper parts. The plant has weak stems that form a dense, prostrate groundcover. The tips of stems often grow upright.

The flowers are roughly a centimeter wide and are sky-blue with dark stripes and white centers. They are zygomorphic, having only one vertical plane of symmetry. They are solitary on long, slender, hairy stalks in the leaf axils.

The seeds are transversely rugose and measure between 1 and 2 millimeters long. There are 5 to 10 seeds per locule in the fruit.


V. persica can be distinguished from similar species by its heart-shaped fruit with two widely-separated lobes.