Veronica besseya explained

Veronica besseya, commonly known as Alpine coral drops and Alpine kitten tails, is a species of flowering plant belonging to the genus Veronica in the family Plantaginaceae.^[1]

Description

Veronica besseya was first discovered for science by Charles Parry in 1861, in the headwaters of South Clear Creek, Colorado.^[2]

Range

Endemic to Western North America, with populations found in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.^[3]

Habitat and ecology

Veronica besseya is quite diminutive, growing 2-8 inches in height in the alpine tundra of the Rocky Mountains. Leaves and stem range from glabrous (lacking hairs) to densely pilose (with long hairs).^[2]

Taxonomy

After its discovery, Veronica besseya was first named Synthyris alpina by Asa Gray. In 1903, it was renamed Besseya alpina by Axel Rydberg.^[4] However, it was proposed in 2004 that all Besseya species actually belong in the genus Veronica, the speedwells.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Veronica besseya (Alpine Besseya) . 2022-05-23 . iNaturalist . en.
2. Web site: Southwest Colorado Wildflowers, Veronica besseya.
3. Web site: 2013 BONAP North American Plant Atlas. TaxonMaps. bonap.net.
4. Rydberg, P. A. “Some Generic Segregations.” Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, vol. 30, no. 5, 1903, pp. 271–81. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2478553. Accessed 24 May 2022.
5. Albach, Dirk C., et al. “A New Classification of the Tribe Veroniceae: Problems and a Possible Solution.” Taxon, vol. 53, no. 2, 2004, pp. 429–52. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/4135620. Accessed 23 May 2022.