Veronica catarractae
Common name
Fiordland parahebe
Synonyms
Parahebe catarractae (G.Forst.) W.R.B.Oliv., Parahebe catarractae (G.Forst.) W.R.B.Oliv. subsp. catarractae
Family
Plantaginaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
NVS code
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.
PARCAT
Chromosome number
2n = 42
Current conservation status
The threat classification status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: By Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – a suggested threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Fiordland).
Habitat
Coastal to montane. Along river banks, where it is usually rooted in sand and silt, also in rock crevices, cliffs, and on recent landslide debris
Features
Subshrub, 50-500 mm tall. Old stems brown or red-brown. Branches ascending to erect. Branchlets brown or red-brown or green or purplish. Vegetative internodes 5-50 mm long. Stem pubescence bifarious, eglandular pubescent (antrorse, curved). Leaves decussate, erecto-patent to spreading. Lamina linear or lanceolate or oblanceolate or elliptic (rarely), 20-120 × 5-30 mm. Upper surface surface of leaves green, dull. Under surface of leaves whitish, dull. Leaf hairs numerous to dense, along midrib above (especially near base), uniseriate eglandular and glandular with short 1-celled stalk and small vertically divided head. Apex acute. Base cuneate. Margin glabrous, serrate. Marginal teeth or lobes in 5-25 pairs. Petiole 2-10 mm long. Inflorescence racemose, unbranched, 60-250 mm long at fruiting, with 12–40 flowers. Indumentum of peduncle, rachis, and pedicels moderately dense to very dense. Eglandular hairs of inflorescence antrorse, rust brown. Peduncle 3-100 mm long, eglandular-pubescent and glandular-pubescent; hairs in 1 row. Rachis 40-120 mm long, eglandular-pubescent and glandular-pubescent, hairs in 1 row above each bract. Bracts alternate, acute to acuminate, glabrous or ciliate with both glandular and eglandular hairs (rarely), linear. Bract margins entire. Pedicels suberect at anthesis, incurved at fruiting, 9-23 mm long, eglandular-pubescent or glandular-pubescent; hairs in 1 row (or rarely more-or-less uniform). Flowers: Calyx 4-lobed, 2.5-4.0 mm long. Calyx lobes lanceolate or ovate, acuminate (by folding). Calyx hairs on margins only, eglandular or mixed eglandular and glandular. Calyx lobe margins entire. Corolla white at anthesis. Nectar guides evident, present on posterior and lateral corolla lobes. Colour ring and nectar guides purple. Corolla throat yellow. Corolla 10-14 mm diameter. Corolla tube 1.0-1.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, hairy inside, hairs short. Corolla lobes glabrous. Posterior corolla lobe circular, obtuse, 5-7 × 4-6 mm. Lateral corolla lobes circular, obtuse, longitudinally folded around stamens, 5-7 × 5-7 mm. Anterior corolla lobe elliptic or rhomboid, obtuse, 5.0-6.0 × 2.5-3.5 mm. Stamen filaments white, 3-6 mm long, narrowed at base. Anthers magenta, when dry and dehisced 1 mm long. Nectarial disc ciliolate. Ovary ellipsoid, obtuse to emarginate, glabrous, 0.8-1.0 mm long. Style 4-6 mm long. Stigma 0.2 mm wide. Capsules weakly flattened emarginate, 3.5-5.0 × 3.5-5.0 mm, 1.5-2.0 mm thick, glabrous. Septicidal split of capsule extending to base. Loculicidal split of capsule extending ¾ way to base. Seeds strongly flattened, smooth-surfaced, broadly ellipsoid or discoid, pale brown, 0.8 × 0.7–0.8 mm
Similar taxa
Allied to Veronica lanceolata from which it is readily distinguished by its greater overall dimensions, leaves which are green above and white beneath rather than the same colour on either side, and by the pedicel hairs which are aligned in one row
Flowering
October - January
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Fruiting
November - May
Propagation technique
Easily grown from cuttings, rooted pieces and fresh seed. Popular in cultivation although it dislikes drought and humidity.
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’.
catarractae: Lover of the waterfall
Attribution
Fact Sheet by P.J. de Lange (5 October 2006). Description adapted from Garnock-Jones and Lloyd (2003).
References and further reading
Garnock-Jones, P.J.; Lloyd, D.G. 2003: A taxonomic revision of Parahebe (Plantaginaceae) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42: 181-232.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Veronica catarractae Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/veronica-catarractae/ (Date website was queried)