Species
Veronica amplexicaulis f. amplexicaulis
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'.
amplexicaulis: From the Latin amplexus 'clasped' and caulis 'stem' or 'stalk', meaning stem-clasping
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 plantVascular plant:
A plant that possesses specialised conducting tissue (xylem and phloem). This includes flowering plants, conifers and ferns but excludes mosses, algae, lichens and liverworts.
Taxa:
Taxonomic groups. Used to refer to a group at any level e.g., genus, species or subspecies.
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 - Range Restricted
Qualifiers
2012 - Sp
Authority
Veronica amplexicaulis J.B.Armstr. f. amplexicaulis
Family
Plantaginaceae
Brief Description
Low bushy shrub with blue-green ovalOval:
Planar, shaped like a flattened circle, symmetrical about both the long and the short axis; about twice as long as broad, tapering equally both to the tip and the base. Synonymous with elliptical.
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Margin:
The edge or border of a leaf
Flora Category
Vascular - NativeNative:
Naturally occurring in New Zealand (i.e., not introduced accidentally or deliberately by humans).
Structural Class
Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs
Synonyms
Hebe amplexicaulis var. erecta Cockayne et Allan, Hebe amplexicaulis var. suberecta Cockayne et Allan, Hebe amplexicaulis (J.B.Armstr.) Cockayne et Allan f. amplexicaulis
Distribution
EndemicEndemic:
Unique or confined to a place or region, found naturally nowhere else.
Habitat
Low montaneMontane:
Land between 300 and 800 metres above sea level.
Rupestral:
Growing on rocks.
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Features
Small to medium-sized shrubs, branching from the base. Stems trailing to erect, naked except near apexApex:
Tip; the point furthest from the point of attachment.
Glabrous:
Without or devoid of hairs, smooth.
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Oblong:
Rectangular.
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Glaucous:
Covered with a fine, waxy, removable powder that imparts a white or bluish cast to the surface.
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Glabrous:
Without or devoid of hairs, smooth.
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Amplexicaul:
clasping or surrounding the stem
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Apex:
Tip; the point furthest from the point of attachment.
Obtuse:
Blunt or rounded at the apex, with the sides meeting at an angle greater than 90°.
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Acute:
Pointed or sharp, tapering to a point with straight sides.
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Inflorescence:
The arrangement of flowers on the stem. A flower head.
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Simple:
Of one part; undivided (cf compound).
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Spike:
Flowers attached to main stem without stalks.
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Peduncle:
The stalk of a solitary flower or the main stalk of an inflorescence or flower cluster.
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Sessile:
Attached by the base without a stalk or stem.
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Calyx:
The group of sepals, or outer floral leaves, of a flower
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Ciliate:
With small hairs (cilia).
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Pubescent:
Covered in short, soft hairs.
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Ovate:
Egg-shaped and widest at base.
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Corolla:
The whorl of petals of a flower.
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Calyx:
The group of sepals, or outer floral leaves, of a flower
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Capsule:
A dry fruit formed from two or more fused carpels that splits open when ripe.
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Ovoid:
Oval; egg-shaped, with rounded base and apex.
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Apex:
Tip; the point furthest from the point of attachment.
Pubescent:
Covered in short, soft hairs.
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Calyx:
The group of sepals, or outer floral leaves, of a flower
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Similar TaxaTaxa:
Taxonomic groups. Used to refer to a group at any level e.g., genus, species or subspecies.
Similar to Veronica pareora from which it is distinguished by its usually shorter stems, smaller leaves, pubescentPubescent:
Covered in short, soft hairs.
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Glabrous:
Without or devoid of hairs, smooth.
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Flowering
October - January (-March)
Flower Colours
Violet / Purple,White
Fruiting
January - December
Propagation Technique
Easily grown from cuttingsCuttings:
Stems and\/or leaves taken from plants for propagation
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Threats
Not Threatened. A Naturally Uncommon, range restricted and sparsely distributed plant which is widespread but never particularly common within its few known habitats. Some populations may be threatened by browsing animals.
Chromosome No.
2n = 40
EndemicEndemic:
Unique or confined to a place or region, found naturally nowhere else.
Taxon:
A taxonomic group. Used to refer to a group at any level e.g., genus, species or subspecies.
Yes
EndemicEndemic:
Unique or confined to a place or region, found naturally nowhere else.
Genus:
A taxonomic rank of closely related forms that is further subdivided in to species (plural = genera). In a scientific name (e.g., Sicyos australis), the first word is the genus, the second the species.
No
EndemicEndemic:
Unique or confined to a place or region, found naturally nowhere else.
No
Where To Buy
Not commercially available.
Attribution
Fact Sheet by Peter J. de Lange (18 August 2006): Description from Garnock-Jones and Mooloy (1982)
References and further reading
Garnock-Jones, P.J.; Molloy, B.P.J. 1982: Polymorphism and the taxonomic status of the Hebe amplexicaulis complex (Scrophulariaceae). New Zealand Journal of Botany 20: 391-399.
This page last updated on 22 Feb 2016