Veronicastrum virginicum

(Linnaeus) Farwell

Druggist’s Circ. 61: 231. 1917.

Common names: Culver's-root or -physic
IllustratedEndemic
Basionym: Veronica virginica Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 1: 9. 1753
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 17. Treatment on page 323. Mentioned on page 320.

Stems unbranched or branched distally, 80–200 cm. Leaves: proximal leaves: withering, petiole 2–4 mm, blade lanceolate to broadly lanceolate or elliptic, (40–) 70–140 × 10–36 mm; distal leaves: petiole 0.1–3 mm, blade lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate or elliptic, 20–40 × 3–10 mm. Racemes 1–8 (–12), continuous, cylindric, 6–35 cm; bracts leaflike, smaller distally, (4–) 12–75 × 1–12 mm; cymes 1-flowered or 2-flowered. Pedicels ascending, 0.3–1.2 mm, glabrous; bracteoles linear-lanceolate to linear. Flowers: calyx glabrous, lobes 1.2–3 × 0.5–1 mm, abaxial 2 shorter than abaxial (2 or) 3; corolla 4–5.5 (–6.5) mm, glabrous externally, obscurely pubescent internally, tube not differentiated from throat, 1–1.3 mm diam., lobes spreading, broadly ovate to triangular, 1.2–2.2 mm, abaxial 3 narrower than adaxial 1; stamens long-exserted, filaments 7–9 mm; nectariferous ring at base of ovary; style 7–9 mm. Capsules ovoid to ellipsoid, 2.5–4.5 (–5.2) × 1.8–2.3 mm, glabrous. Seeds 0.3–0.7 × 0.2–0.4 mm. 2n = 34.


Phenology: Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat: Dry to mesic forests, tallgrass prairies, thickets, oak savannas.
Elevation: 0–300 m.

Distribution

Man., N.S., Ont., Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.J., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

The roots and rhizomes of Veronicastrum virginicum were used widely by Native Americans as an emetic and cathartic (D. E. Moerman 1998). The pharmacologic properties of V. virginicum have been studied and promoted since the early 1800s (K. Kindscher 1992). It is grown widely as an ornamental and often escapes from cultivation. Populations in Nova Scotia are introduced.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"narrower" is not a number.

... more about "Veronicastrum virginicum"
Craig C. Freeman +
(Linnaeus) Farwell +
alternate +, opposite +, whorled +, helical +  and subopposite +
Veronica virginica +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
lanceolate;narrowly lanceolate or elliptic +
not leathery +  and not fleshy +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br />) +
smaller +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
linear-lanceolate +  and linear +
cylindric +
0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br /> (0.52 cm5.2 mm <br />0.0052 m <br />) +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
ovoid +  and ellipsoid +
0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br /> (0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br />) +
Culver's-root or -physic +
0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br /> (0.65 cm6.5 mm <br />0.0065 m <br />) +
pinkish +  and white +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
tubular-salverform +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br />) +
2-flowered +  and 1-flowered +
Man. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, S.C. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +  and Wis. +
drupe-like +
0–300 m. +
curved +  and straight +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (?) +
1 +  and 4 +
4-valved +  and 2-valved +
septicidal +  and loculicidal +
Dry to mesic forests, tallgrass prairies, thickets, oak savannas. +
terminal +  and axillary +
opposite +  and whorled +
persistent +  and deciduous +
broadly ovate;triangular +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
serrate +  and doubly serrate +
entire +  and subentire toothed or lobed +
axile +  and parietal +
basal +, apical +  and superior +
tenuinucellate +, unitegmic +  and hemitropous +
campylotropous +, hemianatropous +  and anatropous +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br />) +
5 +  and 4 +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Flowering Jun–Aug. +
Druggist’s Circ. +
cylindric +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (35 cm350 mm <br />0.35 m <br />) +
minute +
reddish-brown +  and brown +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br />) +
ellipsoid +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br />) +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
long-exserted +
branched +  and unbranched +
climbing +  and scrambling +
sprawling +, creeping +  and prostrate +
glabrous +  and villous +
80 cm800 mm <br />0.8 m <br /> (200 cm2,000 mm <br />2 m <br />) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
Veronicastrum virginicum +
Veronicastrum +
species +
gibbous +  and not spurred +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br />) +
not differentiated +