The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Veronica kellowiae

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'.
kellowiae: Named after botanist Alison Kellow, co-author of “An illustrated guide to New Zealand Hebes.”

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 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2012 - Sp

Authority

Veronica kellowiae Garn.-Jones

Family

Plantaginaceae

Brief Description

Low growing sprawling fleshy shrub bearing pairs of small dark green oval leaves on reddish branches inhabiting Marlborough mountains. Leaves 3.3-7.5mm long by 2-5.5mm wide, hardly narrowing to stalk. Flowers small, white, in short spikes to 2cm long at tips of twigs.

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Synonyms

Hebe ramosissima G.Simpson et J.S.Thomson, Leonohebe ramosissima (G.Simpson et J.S.Thomson) Heads

Distribution

South Island - mountains of east Marlborough, south-east Nelson and north Canterbury, where it occurs on the Inland and Seaward Kaikoura ranges, and near Mount Weld, Mount Terako and Mount Lyford.

Habitat

Alpine rocks and scree, often in moist places.

Features

Subshrub or spreading low shrub to 0.15 m tall. Branches decumbent, old stems brown; branchlets red­brown or purplish or green, puberulent, hairs bifarious; internodes 0.9-5 (-7.5) mm; leaves not readily abscising, persistent along the stem for some distance. Leaf bud lightly surrounded by recently diverged leaves. Leaves decussate to subdistichous, connate (sometimes barely), erecto-patent to recurved; lamina elliptic to obovate (often narrowly), slightly fleshy, more or less flat or slightly concave, 3.3-7.5 (-9.5) x (1.5-) 2-5.5 mm; apex subacute to rounded (often dimpled at apex); midrib sometimes evident in fresh leaves, slightly thickened below; margin not cartilaginous, not thickened, glabrous or glandular-ciliate (sometimes minutely), sometimes tinged red, entire or shallowly toothed; upper surface green to dark green, dull or slightly glossy, with many stomata, glabrous; lower surface green to dark green, dull or slightly glossy; petiole hairy along margins. Inflorescences usually terminal and lateral (i.e. a pedunculate terminal spike subtended by 2 (-4) lateral spikes; more than 2 laterals are present only on Mount Lyford and Mount Terako specimens) or sometimes only terminal (and often with a few sterile bracts at base), unbranched, 0.8-1.7 (-2) cm; peduncle 0.15-0.4 cm; rachis 0.35-0.5 (-1.1) cm. Bracts opposite and decussate or lowermost pair opposite, then subopposite or alternate above, connate or free, elliptic to ovate or oblong, subacute to obtuse. Flowers hermaphrodite or female (on different plants). Pedicels absent. Calyx 2.5-4 mm; lobes elliptic to lanceolate or narrowly oblong, subacute (usually) or obtuse. Corolla tube glabrous; tube of hermaphrodite flowers 2.8-3.5 x 1.4-1.5 mm, cylindric, shorter than (usually) to longer than calyx; tube of female flowers approximately 3 x 1.5 mm, cylindric, equalling to shorter than calyx; lobes white at anthesis, ovate, obtuse, patent or becoming recurved, more or less equalling corolla tube. Stamen filaments remaining erect, 0.5-1 mm; anthers magenta, 1-1.2 mm; sterile anthers approximately 0.7 mm. Ovary ovoid (often very narrowly), approximately 2 mm; ovules 8-12 (-18) per locule; style 2-3.5 mm. Capsules acute to subacute, 3.7-4 x 1.8-2 mm, loculicidal split extending 1/4-way to base. Seeds flattened, ellipsoid, pale brown, 0.7-0.8 x 0.5-0.6 mm, micropylar rim 0.1-0.3 mm.

Similar Taxa

The inflorescences of V. kellowiae distinguish it from other ''Connatae” The species is probably most closely related to V. macrocalyx, which some sterile specimens strongly resemble. It grows near V. epacridea at a range of localities, and probably co-occurs with V. haastii on Mt Terako (based on herbarium specimens only). Resemblance to V. petriei is suggested though each species is geographically disjunct, the corolla tube and calyx are marginally longer than V. kellowiae, and the bracts tend to be alternate. compared to opposite in V. kellowiae.

Flowering

December-February

Flower Colours

White

Fruiting

(December-) February-March

Chromosome No.

2n = 40

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 13 Nov 2019