[app. f. SPEED v. 1 + WELL adv.] One or other species of Veronica, an extensive genus of small herbaceous plants with leafy stems and small blue (rarely pink or white) flowers; a plant belonging to this genus.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 26. Paules Betony, Herbe Fluellyn, or Speedewell.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., 101. An herbe there is commonly called Betonica Pauli, or Pauls Betony…, and is no more then speed well, or Fluellen.
1671. Phillips, Speedwell,… in Latin Betonica Pauli, and Veronica Mas, and Femina.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 317. Speedwell, Veronica.
1833. E. Elliott, Spirits & Men, 22, in Spl. Village, etc. 218. While groups of speedwell, with their bright blue eyes,… cluster in the sun.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., lxxxiii. Bring orchis, bring the foxglove spire, The little speedwell’s darling blue.
1885. R. Buchanan, Annan Water, v. The banks were sprinkled thick with speedwells and primroses.
attrib. c. 1710. Petiver, Cat. Ray’s Eng. Herbal, Tab. xlviii. Speedwell Cress. Hill sides.
1862. Miss Yonge, C’tess Kate, v. 94. The young lady … delicately blue and white, like a speedwell flower.
b. With distinguishing terms.
The number of specific designations is very large: see Chambers’ Cycl., Suppl. (1753), s.v. Veronica, Withering, Brit. Plants (1796), II. 12–18, Penny Cycl. (1843), XXVI. 271, A. Irvine, Handbk. Brit. Plants (1858), 439–444.
1611. Cotgr., Veronique masle, the male Speed-well.
1731. Miller, Gard. Dict., s.v. Veronica, Common Male Speedwell or Fluellin. Ibid., Narrow-leav’d spik’d Speedwell [etc.].
1777. Jacob, Cat. Plants, 121. V[eronica] serpyllifolia, little, or smooth Speedwell, or Paul’s Betony.
1796. Withering, Brit. Plants (ed. 3), II. 17. Veronica Chamaedrys.… Wild Germander. Germander Speedwell.
1840. J. Hodgson, Hist. Northumb., III. II. 360/1. Veronica scutellata, Narrow-leafed Marsh Speedwell.
1846–50. A. Wood, Class-bk. Bot., 406. V. arvensis. Field Veronica. Corn Speedwell…. V. agrestis. Neckweed. Field Speedwell.
1847. Darlington, Amer. Weeds, etc. (1860), 227. V. peregrina,… Foreign Veronica. Purslane Speedwell.
1855. Miss Pratt, Flower. Pl., IV. 89. Spiked Speedwell…. Gardeners call it Cat’s-tail Speedwell.
1882. Garden, 15 April, 263/3. The New Zealand Speedwell, when well grown, is one of the most beautiful of greenhouse plants.
1898. Morris, Austral Eng., 428. Native Speedwell,… a Tasmanian species, Veronica formosa.
