The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Veronica hookeriana

Etymology

Veronica: Named after Saint Veronica, who gave Jesus her veil to wipe his brow as he carried the cross through Jerusalem, perhaps because the common name of this plant is 'speedwell'. The name Veronica is often believed to derive from the Latin vera 'truth' and iconica 'image', but it is actually derived from the Macedonian name Berenice which means 'bearer of victory'.
hookeriana: Named after Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (born 1817) - a world famous botanist who travelled on the Antarctic expedition of 1839 under the command of Sir James Ross and wrote "Handbook of New Zealand Flora" published in 1864-67 describing many specimens sent to Kew by collectors. He died in 1911 and has a memorial stone at Westminster Abbey London.

Common Name(s)

Hooker's speedwell, Hooker's parahebe

Current Conservation Status

2012 - Not Threatened

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - Not Threatened
2004 - Not Threatened

Authority

Veronica hookeriana Walp.

Family

Plantaginaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

PARHOO

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Synonyms

Veronica olsenii Colenso, Parahebe hookeriana (Walp.) W.R.B.Oliv., Parahebe hookeriana (Walp.) W.R.B.Oliv. var. hookeriana, Parahebe hookeriana var. olsenii (Colenso) Ashwin

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North Island: (Raukumara, Huiarau, Kaimanawa, Maungaharuru)

Habitat

Subalpine to alpine. In open sites such as screes, fellfield, banks, rock outcrops and lava fields

Features

Low subshrub, loose cushion or mat-forming subshrub to 200 mm tall. Stems brown, red-brown or grey. Branches prostrate to ascending. Branchlets brown, red-brown, green or purplish. Vegetative internodes 2-20 mm long. Leaves erecto-patent to reflexed. Lamina lanceolate, oblanceolate, ovate, obovate, oblong, elliptic, orbicular or rhomboid, 3.0-14.0 × 2.5-10.0 mm, upper surface dull green, bronze green or dark green, under surface pale green, dull. Leaf hairs sparse, numerous or absent. Apex subacute, obtuse or rounded. Base cuneate. Margin glabrous, ciliate, glandular-ciliate or pubescent, bluntly crenate to serrate. Marginal teeth or lobes in 1-4 pairs. Petiole 1-3 mm long. Inflorescence racemose, unbranched, 3-15-flowered. Peduncle 15-60 mm long, eglandular-pubescent, glandular-pubescent or mixed. Rachis 10-70 mm long, eglandular-pubescent, glandular-pubescent or mixed. Bracts alternate, obtuse to acute, eglandular-hairy above or ciliate, lanceolate to elliptic or narrowly deltoid. Bract margins entire. Pedicels erecto-patent at anthesis, straight or incurved at fruiting, 3-18 mm long, eglandular-pubescent to glandular-pubescent. Flowers: Calyx 4-lobed, 2-3 mm long; lobes elliptic to ovate, subacute to obtuse, margins entire. Calyx hairs on margins only or on both under and upper surfaces. Corolla pink, violet, or mauve at anthesis. Nectar guides evident, present on posterior and lateral corolla lobes or on all corolla lobes. Colour ring and nectar guides magenta. Corolla throat yellow. Corolla 6-15 mm diameter. Corolla tube 1.0-1.5 × 1.0-1.5 mm wide, shortly hairy inside. Corolla lobes glabrous. Posterior corolla lobe circular, elliptic or rhomboid, usually obtuse or rarely emarginate, 5-7 × 4.6-6.0 mm. Lateral corolla lobes elliptic, obtuse, longitudinally folded around stamens, 4.5-6.5 × 4.5-8.0 mm. Anterior corolla lobe elliptic or oblong or rhomboid, obtuse, 4-6 × 2-4 mm. Stamen filaments white or coloured, 4-6 mm long. Anthers pink, magenta or violet, 1.0-1.2 mm long. Nectarial disc ciliolate. Ovary ovoid, globose or ellipsoid, obtuse or emarginate, glabrous or sparsely puberulent, 1.0-1.5 mm long. Style 4.0-5.5 mm long. Capsules. weakly flattened, truncate to emarginate, 3-6 × 3-5 mm, glabrous. Septicidal split extending to base. Loculicidal split extending ½ way to base. Seeds ellipsoid, obovoid, discoid, pale brown, dark brown or brown, 1.0-3.0 × 0.6-1.3 mm

Similar Taxa

Distinguished by the long, eglandular and sometimes glandular leaf hairs; by the leaf marginal teeth in 1-4 pairs; by the mauve corolla with mauve or magenta nectar guides; glabrous capsules, and 1-3 mm long seeds.

Flowering

October - January

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,Violet / Purple

Fruiting

November - May

Propagation Technique

Easily grown from cuttings, rooted pieces and fresh seed.

Threats

Not Threatened

Chromosome No.

2n = 42

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 16 Feb 2016