Veronica chathamica
Common name
Chatham Island koromiko
Synonyms
Veronica coxiana Kirk, Veronica chathamica var. coxiana (Kirk) Cheeseman, Hebe coxiana (Kirk) Cockayne, Hebe chathamica (Buchanan) Cockayne et Allan
Family
Plantaginaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
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.
HEBCHA
Chromosome number
2n = 40
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 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE, RR
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE, RR
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE
2004 | Range Restricted
Brief description
Very low growing sprawling shrub bearing pairs of oval leaves and rounded flower spikes on a distinct stalk inhabiting coastal sites of the Chatham Islands. Leaves 8.5-33mm long by 5.5-16mm wide. Leaf bud without gap at base. Flowers often tinged purple, in a rounded spike to 4cm long.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: Chatham Islands (Chatham, Pitt, Mangere, Little Mangere, South-East, Star Keys, Sisters, Forty Fours, and Rabbit Islands –also many near shore rock stacks)
Habitat
Mostly coastal though can occasionally be found growing well inland on exposed rock outcrops, and common along the shores of Te Whanga. Usually in salt meadow, on cliff tops, on rock stacks, on cobble beaches, more rarely in coastal forest around petrel burrows.
Features
Spreading low shrub often form mats up to 1 m across and 0.25 m tall. Branches prostrate, decumbent or pendent, rooting freely from nodes, old stems brown or grey; branchlets green or red-brown, pubescent; internodes 1.9-25.5 mm. Leaf bud distinct; sinus mostly absent, if present, small and rounded. Leaves erecto-patent to recurved; lamina elliptic, obovate or oblanceolate, coriaceous, flat, 8.5-33.0 × 3.3-16.5 mm; apex subacute to obtuse; margin narrowly cartilaginous, usually glabrous, sometimes pubescent, often red-tinged; upper surface green to dark green, dull, glabrous, occasionally minutely hairy along midrib, lower surface light green, glabrous, rarely hairy along midrib. Inflorescences with 20-40 flowers, lateral, unbranched, 13-41 mm; peduncle 5-20 mm, rachis 2-18 mm. Bracts alternate often with lowermost pair opposite, then subopposite or alternate above, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, acute, margins glabrous, occasionally hairy, usually hairy outside. Flowers hermaphrodite. Pedicels 1.0-2.6 mm. Calyx 2.5-4.0 mm; lobes linear-lanceolate or deltoid, acute, ciliate, usually hairy outside. Corolla tube hairy inside and occasionally outside, 2.5-4.0 × 2.0-2.3 mm, cylindric, usually = or > calyx (rarely < calyx); lobes white, tinged purplish mauve, completely dark purple-mauve, elliptic or ovate, obtuse, patent, shorter than corolla tube, hairy inside, sometimes scarcely, and then only on the base of the inner surface. Stamen filaments 4.0-4.5 mm long; anthers pale brown or pale mauve, 2.0-2.4 mm. Nectarial disc ciliate or glabrous. Ovary sometimes hairy, 1.2-1.5 mm; style 5-6 mm, glabrous or sometimes hairy. Capsules subacute, 3.5-5.0 × 2.5-3.5 mm, glabrous or occasionally minutely hairy, loculicidal split extending to ¼ way to base. Seeds flattened, broad ellipsoid to sub-discoid, brown, 1.2-1.6 × 0.9-1.3 mm.
Similar taxa
Related to Veronica dieffenbachii with which it readily forms hybrids. From that species it is distinguished by the prostrate, creeping growth habit, smaller leaves which are wider than long, and much smaller inflorescences. Veronica dieffenbachii is usually found in less exposed sites in coastal scrub, on the margins of forest, or on limestone outcrops
Flowering
December – July
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Fruiting
January – December
Life cycle
Seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Propagation technique
Easily grown from cuttings, rooted pieces and seed. A very attractive Hebe species which is excellent in a rock garden, pot or hanging basket, and great in a coastal garden. Sadly flowering is often erratic in warmer more humid climates.
Threats
A Naturally Uncommon, range-restricted island endemic. Of the three Chatham Island endemic hebes, this species is the most common and least threatened. However, in disturbed sites it commonly forms hybrid swarms with Veronica dieffenbachii, and in some sites such as Kaiangaroa hybrids are more common than either parent.
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’.
chathamica: From the Chatham Islands
Attribution
Fact Sheet by Peter J. de Lange (18 August 2006): Description modified from Bayly and Kellow (2006)
References and further reading
Bayly, M.; Kellow, A. 2006: An illustrated guide to New Zealand Hebes. Te Papa Press, Wellington.
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
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Veronica chathamica Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/veronica-chathamica/ (Date website was queried)