Common name: Thyme Speedwell
Veronica serpyllifolia L. APNI* 
Description: Perennial herb, stems often prostrate and rooting at nodes, flowering stems ascending or erect to c. 10 cm high, ± pilose.
Leaves with lamina broad-elliptic, mostly 4–16 mm long, 2–11 mm wide, apex obtuse, base rounded, margins minutely crenate, glabrous; petiole very short.
Flowers appearing solitary in the axils of leaf-like bracts; pedicels 1–4.5 mm long. Calyx lobes 2.5–6.5 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, glabrous in fruit. Corolla 2–4.5 mm long, blue.
Capsule oblate, 2.1–4 mm long, 2.5–4.6 mm wide, emarginate, ciliate.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Native of Eur. & W Asia for the typical looking species.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *NT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *Tas.
Southern Tablelands and Victorian occurrences of Veronica serpyllifolia are sometimes referred to as Veronica serpyllifolia subsp. humifusa as they resemble this subspecies as it is recognised in Europe, by the spreading glandular hairs on the inflorescence axis, but differ from that subspecies in having a more erect habit and having mostly more than 18 flowers per raceme (more than the European subspecies). Plants with shorter antrosely curved, nonglandular inflorencence hairs appear referable to the typical subspecies (Veronica sepyllifolia subsp. serpyllifolia) and are probably naturalised at both high and low elevations. Further work is required to determine the correct placement and origin of the 2 entities, and is the reason why there are naturalised and natural dots showing for the locations on the map. Briggs, B.G. & Barker, W.R. in Walsh, N.G. & Entwisle, T.J. (Ed) (1999), Flora of Victoria 4: 516
Text by B. G. Briggs, B. Wiecek & A. J. Whalen
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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