Species
Veronica notialis
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
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 - Range Restricted
Qualifiers
2012 - Sp
2009 - DP
Authority
Veronica notialis Garn.-Jones
Family
Plantaginaceae
Brief Description
Low growing shrub with erect twigs bearing pairs of small green thick fleshy leaves inhabiting Fiordland mountains. Leaves 3-5 mm long, about as wide as long, tapering to tip and leaf stalk, margin hairy. Flowers white, in a group of 2-4 at tip of twigs.
Flora Category
Vascular - Native
Structural Class
Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs
Synonyms
Hebe pauciflora G.Simpson et J.S.Thomson, Leonohebe pauciflora (G.Simpson et J.S.Thomson ) Heads
Distribution
South Island - Mountains of Fiordland, from Caswell Sound in the northwest to near Lake Hauroko in the southeast.
Habitat
Alpine grassland or low shrubland.
Features
Spreading low shrub to 0.2 m tall. Branches decumbent to erect, old stems brown to grey; branchlets green or red-brown or brown, pubescent, hairs bifarious; internodes 1-2 (-3) mm; leaf decurrencies evident and extended for length of internode; leaves either abscising above nodes or not readily abscising. Leaf bud tightly surrounded by recently diverged leaves; sinus broad and acute. Leaves very shortly connate, erecto-patent; lamina ovate to circular or deltoid (leaves spathulate when shape of petiole is considered), rigid, flat to concave, (2-) 3-5 (-6) x (2-) 3-4 (-6) mm; apex subacute to obtuse or subapiculate; midrib slightly thickened below (forming keel), but not strongly evident in fresh leaves; margin minutely papillate and ciliate (often with tangled, branching hairs); upper surface dark green to yellowish-green, glossy, with many stomata, glabrous; lower surface dark green to yellowish-green, glossy; petiole 1-1.5 (-2) mm. Juvenile and reversion leaves entire, ciliate. Inflorescences with 2 (-4) flowers, lateral, unbranched, 0.6-1.35 cm, longer than subtending leaves (if including the length of flowers); peduncle 0-0.2 cm; rachis 0-0.2 cm. Bracts opposite and decussate, connate, lanceolate to deltoid, subacute. Flowers hermaphrodite. Pedicels always shorter than bracts, approximately 1 mm, glabrous or hairy. Calyx 4-6 mm; lobes oblanceolate, acute, minutely eglandular ciliate (with branching hairs). Corolla tube glabrous, approximately 3 x 1 mm, slightly contracted at mouth, equalling calyx; lobes white at anthesis, circular or elliptic (anterior only), obtuse, suberect to recurved, equalling corolla tube. Stamen filaments remaining erect, 2 mm; anthers pink to magenta or mauve. 1.5-2 mm. Ovary globose to ellipsoid, approximately 1 mm; ovules 12-14 per locule: style 1.8-3 mm. Capsules angustiseptate, didymous, 4.5-5 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, approximately 4 mm thick, septicidal split extending ¾-way to base, loculicidal split extending to base. Seeds weakly flattened, ellipsoid, pale brown, 1-1.5 x 0.8-1.2 mm.
Flowering
December-March
Flower Colours
White
Fruiting
January-March
Chromosome No.
2n = 42
Endemic Taxon
Yes
Endemic Genus
No
Endemic Family
No
Life Cycle and Dispersal
Seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Taxonomic notes
A distinctive species, recognised by having; entire, petiolate leaves with a fringe or fine, white, tangled and sometimes branched hairs on the margins; lateral inflorescences; large flowers with broad corolla lobes; and angustiseptate capsules. Its relationship to other members of Veronica is not clear. It resembles species of "Buxifoliatae" (with which it was included by Moore, in Allan 196 I) and "Connatae" in vegetative characters but differs in capsule and flower shape (and in these, presumably plesiomorphic, features resemble some members of Veronica sp. formally known as Parahebe).
Attribution
Description adapted by M. Ward from Bayly & Kellow (2006).
References and further reading
Allan, H. H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand. Vol. 1. Wellington: Government Printer.
Bayly, M.J., Kellow, A.V. 2006. An illustrated guide to New Zealand Hebes. Wellington, N.Z.: Te Papa press pg. 288.
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 23 Nov 2019