Scrophulariaceae

V. gentianoides Vahl, Symb. 1:1 (1790). Syn: V. pallida Hornem., Hort. Hafn. 17(1813); V. olympica Pallas ex Link in Jahrb. Gewächsk. 1(3):40 (1820); V. gentianoides Vahl var. glacialis Náb. in Publ. Fak. Sci. Univ. Masaryk Brno 70: 34 (1926). Ic: Fl. URSS 22: t. 14 f. 1 (1955).
Shortly creeping perennial herb, sometimes forming mats. Rhizome branched, 4-7 mm diam., with leaf rosettes. Flowering stems unbranched, ascending to erect, 5-60 cm, usually glabrous, sparsely pubescent towards inflorescence. Leaves broadly elliptic to lanceolate, oblanceolate or linear, 15-80(-150)x (l-)3-15(-20) mm, ± thick or subcoriaceous, shining, midrib often whitish; apex acute or obtuse; margin narrowly cartilaginous, entire or remotely and irregularly denticulate to crenulate (rarely distinctly serrate); basal often crowded forming ± distinct rosette, ± petiolate, connate and vaginate at base (sheaths 5-15 mm), usually glabrous; cauline smaller, sessile, 1-5-paired, with short sheaths, often ± pubescent with usually very short glandular hairs. Raceme 10-50-flowered, indistinctly delimited from vegetative portion, often with sterile bracts at base, densely glandular-(rarely eglandular-) pubescent with short patent hairs. Pedicels 5-15 mm, 1-3 x bracts. Calyx 2-3.5 mm in flower, lobes 4(-5). Corolla dark to pale blue, 8-16 mm diam. Style (3-)4-8 mm. Capsule orbicular, 4-7 x 5-7 mm, usually exceeding calyx, usually glandular-pubescent, emargi-nate (sinus 0.10-0.14 x capsule length). Seeds numerous, orbicular to elliptic, 1.8-2.4 x 1.5-2 mm, flat, smooth. Fl. 5-8. Forests, damp meadows, pastures, wet places, rocky alpine slopes, 1000-3600 m.
Type: [Turkey] in Cappadocia, 'Veronica orientalis erecta gentianellae foliis', Tournefort (holo. C, photo! iso. P-Tourn. 717, photo!).
N. & Inner Anatolia. A2(A) Bursa: Ulu Da., 1600m, Bornm. 1899:5373! A3 Bolu: Ala Da. on Kartal Kaya Tepe, 2100-2200 m, D. 37411! A4 Çankiri: d. Ilgaz, Ilgaz Da., southern part, 1680 m, Hııb.-Mor. 14031! A5 Amasya: Ak Da., 1700 m, A.Baytop (ISTE 29438)! A6 Ordu: Erdaş above Çambaşi, 2000 m, Tobey 1406! A7 Trabzon: Trabzon to Maçka, Malaka Da., Anşın (ISTO 16465! A8 Gümüşane: d. Gümüşane, Kop Da., 2400 m, Furse & Synge 860!A9 Çoruh: Şavşat, Çenkelek Y., 2400 m, Yüksel (ISTE 35329)! B2 Kütahya: Simav, Kiçir to Ak Da., 1700 m, Coode & Jones 2672! B3 Eskişehir: Sündiken Da., Ekim 818! B4 Ankara: Elma Da. nr Ankara, 1700 m, Kotte! B5 Kayseri: Erciyas Da., 3200 m, Bal. 1856:1028! B7 Tunceli: Munzur Da. above Ovacik, 1650 m, D. 31422! B8 Erzurum: mts. between Erzurum and Çat, 3000 m, Rix 1056! B9 Van: Artos Da., 3000 m, D. 22860! B10 Kars: N.E. slope of Ağri Da. nr Serdar Bulak, 2500 m, D. 43753! C4 Konya: Bozkir, Tuzan De., Çetik 136! C9 Hakkari: Kara Da., 3500 m, D. 24458 (var.glacialis)! C10 Hakkari: Sat Da., N.W. of Sat G, 2850 m, D. 45509 (var. glacialis)!
Caucasia, N.W. [ran. Hyrcano-Euxine (mt.) element. Extremely variable, especially in size and leaf shape. The typical forms from lower altitudes are continuously linked with dwarf alpine forms (5-10 cm tall) with small oblanceo-late leaves (15-25x 3-5 mm) and 3-4 mm style, which occur between 2500 and 3500 m. The latter have been described as var. glacialis Náb.
V. sumilensis Freyn & Sint. (in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 4:55, 1896) is very similar to var. glacialis, but differs by leaves lacking a cartilaginous margin; more eglandu-lar curved hairs and fewer glandular hairs in inflorescence; style 2.5-3 mm; capsules 2.5-3.5 x 3.4 mm; seeds 1 x 0.8 mm. It is known only from the syntypes, [Turkey A7 Trabzon] Sumila (Meryemana), Sint. 1889:1731 and [A7 Gümüşane] Karagöl Da., Alask to Savesi, Sint. 1894:7237! and its taxonomic status remains uncertain.