Field speedwell, Water speedwell
Veronica anagallis-aquatica
Family: Plantaginaceae
What it is like
A short lived herb. It can be erect or lie along the ground. It grows about 50 -150 cm high. The stems are often creeping and rooting from the lower nodes. The leaves do not have leaf stalks. Leaves are 5-15 cm long and 1-2 cm wide. They are narrow and oblong and can have teeth. The flowers are white or pinkish. They occur in lax, slender clusters. The number of clusters and flowers can vary greatly. The fruit is a capsule. It is compressed. It is 2-3.5 cm long. There are many seeds.
There are about 250 Veronica species. Also put in the family Scrophulariaceae.
Where it is found
A temperate plant. In Nepal plants grow between 500-3500 m altitude. It grows in still or slow flowing water up to about 1 m deep. It can also grow along banks. In north China it grows near swamps below 4,000 m above sea level. It grows in wetlands. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 2,500 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bhutan, Britain, Central Asia, Chile, China, Eswatini, Europe, France, Greece, Himalayas, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, Middle East, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, North Africa, North America, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Sicily, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America (country/location of origin), Swaziland, Spain, St Helena, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Tibet, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan
How it is used for food
The seeds are pickled. The young stems are used as a vegetable. The leaves are used in salads and also cooked.
It is sold in local markets in China.
Edible parts
Leaves, seeds, stem
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seed. They can also be grown from cuttings. These need to be put into shallowly flooded soil.
The 4-6 top leaves are picked off.
Its other names
Local names
Agraman, Astillejos, Berro, Blue water speedwell, Bong ga neng bong, Crisciuneddu, Dhapre jhar, Erva di tracina, Frailes, Giyahanaroka, Hazar dani, Nomeolvides del campo, Obo saba, Sugedemesi, Titlokia, Veronica, Water speedwell