Veronica persica (Bird’s-eye Speedwell)

Native to the Caucasus and northern Iran, this low annual herb belongs to the plantain family. Its hairy stems trail across the ground and can root where they touch the soil. Rounded, toothed leaves accompany small blue flowers with darker veins, pale centers, and a smaller lower lobe. The flowers give way to flattened, two-lobed capsules whose halves spread apart like a wide V. It reproduces by seed and grows in gardens, fields, lawns, and other disturbed ground. It has naturalized in Colombia, Australia, and North America, and is invasive in Japan, where it competes with native vegetation and crops. Photographed in Colombia.