American Speedwell

Veronica americana

''Veronica americana'', variously called ''American Brooklime'' or ''American Speedwell'', is a plant native to temperate and arctic Asia and North America where it grows in streams and bottomlands.

The plant can be confused with Skullcap and other members of the mint family. Members of the mint family have square sided stems, and ''Veronica'' species have rounded stems, and are easily distinguished from skullcap.
American Speedwell, The Plant. Another common name is American Brooklime. Note the serrated edges of the leaves. For a closer look at the flower, https://www.jungledragon.com/image/82201/a_diminutive_flower.html American Speedwell,Canada,Geotagged,Summer,Veronica americana

Appearance

It is a herbaceous perennial with glabrous stems 10–100 cm long that bear terminal or axillary racemes or spikes of soft violet flowers. The leaves are 1.5–8 cm long and 3 to 20 times as long as wide, short-petiolate, glabrous, serrate to almost entire.
American speedwell Geotagged,Spring,United States,Veronica americana

Uses

American Speedwell is edible and nutritious and is reported to have a flavor similar to watercress. Native Americans used ''Veronica'' species as an expectorant tea to alleviate bronchial congestion associated with asthma and allergies.

Extracts obtained from the herbs of various Veronica species are used as folk remedy worldwide for the treatment of cancer, influenza, laryngopharyngitis, hernia, cough and respiratory diseases and can also be used as an expectorant and anti scurvy.

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Taxonomy
KingdomPlantae
DivisionAngiosperms
ClassEudicots
OrderLamiales
FamilyPlantaginaceae
GenusVeronica
SpeciesV. americana
Photographed in
Canada
United States of America