Veronica polita Grey Field-speedwell

A small, grey-green, annual speedwell which grows as a weed of arable fields, gardens and allotments but also on tracks, pavements, railways and disturbed waste ground. It has small and usually uniformly blue flowers which give rise to fruits whose capsules do not diverge. It can be confused with Green Field-speedwell (Veronica agrestis) but its lower leaves are usually wider than long, the flowers are bright blue and the fruits (which resemble those of Green Field-speedwell) have both long non-glandular hairs and glandular hairs. It is most common in Britain as a weed of cultivated fields in south and east England and much less common in Wales and the north of Britain. It occurs as an arable weed in Gower but is less common elsewhere in West Glamorgan where it is occasional as a pavemnet weed in urban areas.

Neophyte