Breckland Speedwell
Veronica praecox
Veronica praecox, the breckland speedwell, is a small flower in the family Plantaginaceae native to Europe, North-West Africa and regions adjoining the Black Sea.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_praecox
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Family
Plantaginaceae
Genus
Veronica
Breckland Speedwell belongs to the family Plantaginaceae, order Lamiales, within the Magnoliopsida class.
Species Profile
Veronica praecox, the breckland speedwell, is a small flower in the family Plantaginaceae native to Europe, North-West Africa and regions adjoining the Black Sea.
Breckland Speedwell faces severe decline primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized sandy grassland and heathland environments. Agricultural intensification, urban development, and changes in land management practices have dramatically reduced suitable habitat. The species is also threatened by invasive species competition and altered grazing regimes that disrupt the open, disturbed ground conditions it requires.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Its native range is Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Crete, Crimea, Morocco, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Poland, Romania, Sicily, South European Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, and introduced into the British Isles. in Turkey, rocky steppe, pastures and fields, .
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Breckland Speedwell faces severe decline primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized sandy grassland and heathland environments. Agricultural intensification, urban development, and changes in land management practices have dramatically reduced suitable habitat. The species is also threatened by invasive species competition and altered grazing regimes that disrupt the open, disturbed ground conditions it requires.
Agricultural intensification
Habitat loss and fragmentation
Urban development and infrastructure
Altered land management practices
Invasive species competition
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Breckland Speedwell (Veronica praecox). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/breckland-speedwell