Species
Veronica truncatula
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'.
truncatula: From the Latin truncatus 'truncate, ending abruptly' and -ula a diminutive suffix, referring the leaf apex.
Common Name(s)
Hebe
Current Conservation Status
2012 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
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 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2004 - Not Threatened
Qualifiers
2012 - DP, RR, Sp
Authority
Veronica truncatula Colenso
Family
Plantaginaceae
Brief Description
Bushy shrub bearing pairs of often curved narrow glossy leaves clustered towards tip of erect twigs inhabiting subalpine areas of the Kaweka and Ruahine Ranges. Leaves to 42mm long by 10.3mm wide, margin hairy (lens needed). Flowers white, in spikes to 8cm long towards tip of twigs.
Flora Category
Vascular - Native
HEBTRU
The
National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
Structural Class
Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs
Synonyms
Hebe truncatula (Colenso) L.B.Moore
Flower Colours
White
Threats
Not Threatened
Chromosome No.
2n = 80
Endemic Taxon
Yes
Endemic Genus
No
Endemic Family
No
Life Cycle and Dispersal
Seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
References and further reading
Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285-309
This page last updated on 16 Feb 2016