Veronica derwentiana

Woody herb to c. 140 cm high; stems several–many from a woody rootstock, mostly erect and unbranched below inflorescence, glabrous or with short curved or twisted hairs in longitudinal bands or rarely over whole surface; each stem persisting for 1 or 2 seasons. Leaves lanceolate to ovate, mostly 5–20 cm long, apex acute or acuminate, margins with 30–80 pairs of apiculate teeth; sessile or with short broad petiole. Racemes mostly 8–25 cm long, 40–100-flowered. Calyx-lobes 2–5 mm long, 0.7–1 mm wide in fruit, glabrous or with scattered short glandular hairs; corolla 5–9 mm long, white, pale lilac or pale blue. Capsule narrow- to broad-obovate, 2.8–5.5 mm long, 2.5–4.5 mm wide, acute, truncate or emarginate, glabrous or with short hairs on upper margin, slightly glossy.