Very pretty pictures, Dave.

I've never read of any Veronica-Veronicastrum hybridization though. Their taxonomic separation has in fact been increased (Family level) in more recent years.

actually recent chemotaxonomy and pollen morphology have moved them into a genus cluster-although conventional taxonomy continues to move them both in and out of the scrophulariacae.

i have so many veronicas and veronicastrums- well, stranger things have happened in the garden.

Beautiful, thank you for sharing!

Interesting, Dave.

My involvement with classification and nomenclature (nothing to do with plants) was at a time when numerical taxonomy was becoming recognized. As such, there was quite a debate about the validity of numerical taxonomy versus classical taxonomy, as I'm sure you know. I gather cluster analysis has some of the same philosophical underpinning as numerical taxonomy.

I'd agree, however, that it's to demonstrate that veronica and veronicastrum can produce hybrids, rather than to fall back on any type of classification system that makes it possible to argue that they may be able to or may not.

Love it! You have fertile ground, David! Who's the little Kniphofia budding? I've always wanted the pale yellow 'Little Maid'!