The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Veronica arganthera

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'.

Current Conservation Status

2018 - 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

2012 - Threatened - Nationally Endangered
2009 - Threatened - Nationally Endangered
2004 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2012 - RR, Sp
2009 - RR, Sp

Authority

Veronica arganthera (Garn.-Jones, Bayly, W.G.Lee et Rance) Garn.-Jones

Family

Plantaginaceae

Brief Description

Bushy shrub bearing narrow pairs of leaves with a finely hairy margin (lens needed) inhabiting limestone bluffs in Fiordland. Leaves 15-30mm long by 6-11mm wide. Leaf bud with small narrow gap. Flowers white, in short spike to 5cm long. Anthers pale.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

Hebe arganthera Garn.-Jones, Bayly, W.G.Lee et Rance

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (eastern areas of Fiordland National Park)

Habitat

A subalpine scrub developed on mostly south facing limestone bluffs, outcrops and cliff faces, in and around sink holes and on limestone talus and colluvium, usually at or near the tree limit.

Features

Shrub, often rounded or spreading, to 0.5 m tall. Branches ascending to erect; old stems brown; youngest branchlets green; internodes 2-8 mm long, bifariously eglandular-pubescent. Leaf bud about as long as mature leaves, sinus narrow, acute. Leaves lamina oblong to elliptic, coriaceous or subcoriaceous, m-shaped in transverse section, 12-38 x 5-11 mm; apex subacute and mucronate; base cuneate; midrib thickened beneath and depressed to grooved above; secondary veins not evident; margin entire, translucent, bevelled or rounded, minutely papillate or denticulate; upper surface green or yellowish green, dull, hairy along midrib; lower surface pale green, dull, glabrous. Petiole 3-4 mm long, uniformly eglandular-pubescent. Inflorescences with 15-25 flowers, lateral, racemose, simple or with 1-2 branches at base, 20-50 mm long, about = or > subtending leaves, flowers opening in acropetal sequence, usually all developing to maturity; peduncle 8-10 mm long, eglandular-pubescent; rachis 150 mm long, eglandular pubescent; bracts opposite and decussate at least below, sometimes becoming alternate above, subacute to acute, eglandular-ciliolate, linear to lanceolate; pedicels < bracts, eglandular-pubescent, erecto-patent at flowering and fruiting, 0.5-5.0 mm long. Flowers hermaphrodite. Calyx terete, 4-lobed, equally divided, 2.5-3.5 mm long; lobes all similar, lanceolate to elliptic, obtuse, eglandular-ciliolate; margins scarious. Corolla white; tube glabrous, 1-2 mm long, c.1 mm wide, cylindric, > calyx; lobes glabrous, > tube; posterior lobe circular to elliptic, obtuse, erecto-patent; lateral lobes elliptic or ovate, obtuse, erecto-patent, cuneate at base; anterior lobe ovate, obtuse, patent to recurved, not enfolding style; corolla throat white. Stamens: filaments white, 4-6 mm long; anthers white, c 1.5 mm long. Nectarial disc glabrous. Ovary ovoid, glabrous, 1.7-2.0 mm long, bilocular; style 5-7 mm long, glabrous, white; stigma capitate. Capsules acute, dark brown, 3-4 x 2.5-3.5 mm, glabrous; septicidal split extending to base, loculicidal split extending ¨ù-way to 1/3-way to base; capsule valves with pronounced midrib. Seeds 0.6-1.0 x 0.5-0.8 mm, straw yellow to pale brown.

Similar Taxa

Veronica arganthera resembles V. cockayneana from which it differs by its larger, dull green, concolorous leaves, short stem pubescence, very short eglandular hairs on leaf margins (glabrous or glandular-hairy in V. cockayneana), white anthers, and shorter capsules. Veronica arganthera is also similar to V. subalpina However, Veronica subalpina has glossy leaves, lacks a sinus and has strictly simple (unbranched) inflorescence, spiralled flowers, magenta anthers, and larger seeds

Flowering

December - May

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

January - August

Propagation Technique

Easy from cuttings. However, very slow growing and will not flower in lowland humid climates, where it prone to hebe leaf spot (Septora exotica). Does best in a cool, semi-shaded, free draining situation.

Threats

A narrow range limestone endemic that is known from very few sites and adult plants. It is vulnerable at many sites to deer browsing. Seedlings though common rarely reach maturity due to these browsing animals

Chromosome No.

2n = 40

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).

This page last updated on 22 Feb 2016