Citation: -aquatica, L., Sp. Pl. 12 (1753).

Synonymy: V. aquatica Bernh., Begr. Pflanzenart. 66 (1835), non S.F. Gray; V. salina Schür, Enum. Pl. Transsilv. 492 (1866); ?V. catenata Pennell, Rhodora 23:37 (1921) subsp. catenata; ?V. connata Raf., Med. Fl. 2:110 (1830); ?V. connata Raf. Subsp. glaberrima Pennell, Acad. Nat. Sc. Philadelphia Monog. 1:368 (1935).

Common name: Water speedwell, blue (or pink) speedwell.

Description:
Aquatic or semi-aquatic perennial with hollow stems rooting at the lower nodes, the branches erect, 13-100 cm high, glabrous; leaves opposite, stem-clasping and meeting across the node, narrow-ovate to narrow-elliptic, 15-60 x 4-20 mm or in lower parts probably larger, subentire to serrulate, acute, glabrous.

Racemes in upper axils, 15-30-flowered, the rhachis and pedicels glabrous but for scattered tiny glandular hairs, the pedicels in fruit spreading but curved upwards, 2-4 rarely 5 mm long, equal to or longer than the linear-subulate bracts; sepals 4, ovate, 2-3.5 mm long, free, erect and hardly enlarged in fruit; corolla whitish, pale-pink or purple, the lobes 1.5-2 mm long, obtuse; anthers c. 0.4 mm long; ovary glabrous, the stigma 0.15-0.3 mm diam..

Capsule loculicidal and partly septicidal, greatly compressed, circular to transverse-ovate, 2-3 x 2.5-3.5 mm, glabrous, the apex rounded-truncate, with a slight notch and a persistent style 1-1.3 mm long.

	Habit, leaf pair, opened flower and fruit.
Image source: fig. 596F in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Butcher ( 1961) A new illustrated British flora 2:fig. 1041 .

Distribution:  In swamps and on muddy margins or banks of drains and creeks. S.Aust.: FR, MU, SE.   N.S.W.; Vic.   Native of the Northern Hemisphere. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: Nov. — March, May.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: Terrestrial annuals; racemes terminal; bracts similar to the leaves, petiolate with a broad blade; pedicels long. Naturalised. (Species 7-8).

Taxonomic notes: South-eastern Australian specimens do not fit perfectly with V. anagallis-aquatica, having affinities also with V. catenata Pennell (syn. V. connata subsp. glaberrima Pennell), which is also widely spread in the Northern Hemisphere, and V. connata Raf. (see Pennell (1935) Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia Monogr. 1:365) from North America. They resemble the first in their denser leaf toothing, fruiting pedicels often longer than the bracts, and erect fruiting sepals, but are allied to the second and third in their sessile lower leaves and capsules being wider than long. Vigorous but sterile hybrids between the first 2 species are common throughout Europe, but the Australian plants form capsules with abundant seed. Style length is shorter than documented for the Northern Hemisphere.

Author: Not yet available