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  4. Veronica cryptomorpha

Veronica cryptomorpha

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Common names

hebe

Biostatus

Native – Endemic taxon

Category

Vascular

Structural class

Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons

Simplified description

Bushy rounded shrub bearing pairs of oval leaves that are paler underneath inhabiting mountains near the Wairau River in Marlborough. Twigs and upper surface of central vein finely hairy (lens needed). Leaf bud with small gap between base of leaves. Flower spike not branched, to 4cm long.

Flower colours

Red/Pink, White

Detailed description

Shrub or rounded shrub, to 1.2 m tall. Branches erect; old stems light to very dark brown, or red-brown (chocolate); youngest branchlets brown (usually), or green; internodes 1-10 mm long; stem pubescence bifarious, eglandular. Leaf bud about as long as mature leaves; sinus broad and acute. Leaves decussate, erecto-patent to patent; lamina oblanceolate, lanceolate or elliptic, fleshy or slightly thin, 7–33 × 3–9 mm; apex acute or subacute; base cuneate; evident venation in fresh leaves consisting of midrib only; midrib thickened beneath and depressed to grooved above; margin not thickened, rounded (or squarish), minutely papillate, mostly entire; upper surface green, dull or slightly glossy, hairy along midrib; lower surface light green or glaucous or glaucescent, dull, with many stomata. Petiole 1–6 mm long, hairy above (along midrib). Inflorescences with 5–17 flowers, lateral, racemose and mostly unbranched, 12–37 mm long, = to > subtending leaves; peduncle 2–1.3 mm long, pubescent; rachis 8–31 mm long; bracts almost always opposite and decussate, free (usually) or connate (sometimes very shortly, especially near base of inflorescence), acute, subacute or obtuse, ciliolate, lanceolate or ovate or deltoid; pedicels < or corolla tube, glabrous; ovate to elliptic, obtuse, patent to recurved, with margin and apex flat; corolla throat white. Stamen filaments white 3.5–5.5 mm long; anthers obtuse or shortly apiculate, dark pink or purplish mauve, 1.9–2.4 mm long. Nectarial disc glabrous. Ovary ovoid, glabrous or sparsely eglandular hairy, 1.5–2.1 mm long; style 3.00–6.50 × c.0.15–0.25 mm thick, glabrous or with sparse multicellular hairs (especially toward base), white; stigma subcapitate, white, yellow or green at anthesis, 0.25–0.35 mm wide. Capsules latiseptate, obtuse or subacute, pale to dark brown, 3.0–4.0 × 2.4–2.8 mm wide, glabrous or with sparse eglandular, multicellular hairs, loculicidal split extending ¼–½ way to base.

Similar taxa

Veronica cryptomorpha is most similar to V. simulans and V. cockayneana from both of which it is mostly distinguished tetraploid chromosome number (2n = 40; 2n = 80 in V. simulans and 2n = 120 in V. cockayneana). From Veronica cockayneana it can be distinguished in the field by its oblanceolate leaves and from V. simulans by its longer, narrower leaves.

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (Marlborough and Nelson, primarily on mountains of the Wairau River catchment)

Habitat

Subalpine shrubland and tussock grassland, usually in shallow mountain soils or on rock strewn ground, rubble slopes, on rock outcrops or cliff faces within river gorges and ravines.

Current conservation status

The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.

  • Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.

2023 | Not Threatened

Jump to previous conservation statuses

Detailed taxonomy

Family

Plantaginaceae

Authority

Veronica cryptomorpha (Bayly, Kellow, G.Harper et Garn.-Jones) Garn.-Jones

Synonyms

Hebe cryptomorpha Bayly, Kellow, G.Harper et Garn.-Jones

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Ecology

Flowering

October - December

Fruiting

December - April

Life cycle and dispersal

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

Propagation technique

Easily grown from cuttings and fresh seed. An attractive shrub for a rock garden. Dislikes humidity, and often will not flower at lower elevations.

Other information

Where To Buy

Not Commercially Available.

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’.

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.

VERCRY

Chromosome number

2n = 40

Previous conservation statuses

The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.

  • Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.

2017 | Not Threatened

2012 | Not Threatened

2009 | Not Threatened

2004 | Not Threatened

Jump to current conservation status

Referencing and citations

References and further reading

Bayly, M.J. et al. 2002: Descriptions and flavonoid chemistry of new taxa in Hebe sect. Subdistichae (Scrophulariaceae). New Zealand Journal of Botany 40: 571–602

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

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

Attribution

Fact Sheet by P.J. de Lange (28 November 2006): Description from Bayly and Kellow (2006)

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Veronica cryptomorpha Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/veronica-cryptomorpha/ (Date website was queried)

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