Veronica agrestis L.

Hairy annual; stems much-branched, decumbent, to c. 30 cm tall. Lvs shortly petiolate. Lamina 6-22 × 4-17 mm, ovate or ovate-oblong, coarsely and irregularly crenate-serrate; base truncate to cordate; apex obtuse. Fls axillary, solitary, in axils of lvs similar to vegetative lvs; pedicels c. 5 mm long at flowering, usually < subtending lvs, much longer at fruiting. Calyx c. 3 mm long; lobes ovate-elliptic or ovate-oblong, prominently ciliate, otherwise glabrous or nearly so, obtuse, accrescent. Corolla 5-6 mm diam.; upper lobe pale blue; other lobes white or very pale blue; veins deep blue. Capsule 5-6 mm wide, deeply 2-lobed; lobes ± erect, rounded on outer edge, with prominent raised nerves, with almost straight glandular cilia, otherwise glabrous or glabrate. Seeds broadly elliptic, concave on 1 face, irregularly transversely ridged on convex side.

Cultivated ground throughout Britain, common in the north, local in the south. A weed in fields, gardens, kitchen gardens, in forest and forest-steppe zones; rarely in mixed-grass area in foothills and mountains at elevations up to 1,800 metres

The shoots and leaves are eaten.

Can be grown by seedlings.