Veronica hederifolia

Ivy Speedwell ( Veronica hederifolia )

Called The Ivy Speedwell ( Veronica hederifolia ), also Efeublättriger speedwell, is a species in the genus Prizes ( Veronica ) within the family of the plantain family ( Plantaginaceae ).

Description

The Ivy Honorary Award is an annual herbaceous plant that can reach a height of up to 30 centimeters. The stems are usually lying, but sometimes ascending and hairy loose especially in the upper part. They are directly branched at the base. The broadly oval, notched, seated leaves are indeed opposite, but become the inflorescence towards increasingly alternate.

The 3-7 mm wide flowers are long stalks and are located separately in the upper leaf axils. The crowns have a bright, purple to blue color and a solid top.

Veronica hederifolia germinate in late autumn or early spring from the top soil and blooms from March to May

Ecology

The ivy - prize is a summer or winterannueller and spring green Therophyt.

The flowers remain closed when it rains. Pollinators are bees relatives, but most takes spontaneous self-pollination instead. The anthers are in fact already open in bloom and surround the scar.

The fruit stalks are elongated after flowering and curved downward. The capsule fruits usually remain closed. In the cavity of up to 3 mm long, large, bowl -shaped seeds later forms a bubble, so that they can spread as Regenschwemmlinge. However, the seeds also carry a Elaiosom to spread by ants. In addition, find random spread, for example, instead of goldfinches. Furthermore, Veronica hederifolia is a Selbstaussäer. The seeds are dark germinator. Fruit ripening is from April to June. The ivy - speedwell can germinate in winter, its seedlings survive the winter cold easily.

Habitat

The ivy - speedwell occurs throughout central and southern Europe and is fairly common. It prefers loose, nutrient-rich clay soils and mild. It is found in root crop fields, fallow land and in gardens. On fields he is a competitor of winter barley and can hinder their growth in an increased incidence strong.