Veronica decora
Common name
parahebe
Synonyms
Parahebe decora Ashwin
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.
PARDEC
Chromosome number
2n = 40
Current conservation status
The conservation 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). 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.
2012 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island(Nelson, eastern Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago, to Southland).
Habitat
Montane to subalpine, Usually found on rubbly ground such as braided riverbeds, screes, moraines, stony ground and in stone-strewn grassland
Features
Subshrub 10-30 mm tall. Old stems brown to grey. Branches prostrate or decumbent. Branchlets red-brown to black. Vegetative internodes 0.5-15.0 mm long. Stem pubescence uniform or bifarious (rarely), eglandular pubescent (hairs curly). Leaves decussate, spreading to recurved. Lamina obovate to orbicular or lyrate, 1.5-5.0 × 1.0-5.0 mm. Upper surface of leaves green to dark green (often red-tinged), glossy. Under surface of leaves pale green or pinkish, dull. Leaf hairs sparse or rarely numerous, along margins, or on petiole or on upper surface or on under surface (rarely), eglandular, curly. Apex rounded. Base cuneate. Margin glabrous, crenate or lobed. Marginal teeth or lobes in 1(–2) pairs. Petiole 0.5-1.5 mm long. Inflorescence racemose, unbranched, 60-250 mm long at fruiting, with 3-20 flowers. Indumentum of peduncle, rachis, and pedicels absent to moderately dense. Eglandular hairs of inflorescence antrorse, white. Peduncle 40-150 long, glabrous to eglandular-pubescent; hairs all around peduncle. Rachis 2-100 mm long, eglandular-pubescent, hairs all around rachis. Bracts alternate to alternate but with a basal whorl of 3, obtuse to subacute, eglandular ciliate (especially near base), lanceolate to elliptic. Bract margins entire. Pedicels erectopatent at anthesis to suberect at anthesis, straight at fruiting, 2-10 mm long, glabrous or eglandular-puberulent; hairs all around pedicel. Flowers: Calyx 4-lobed, 2-3 mm long. Calyx lobes oblanceolate to obovate, acute to subacute. Calyx hairs on margins only, mixed eglandular and glandular. Calyx lobe margins entire. Corolla white at anthesis or pink at anthesis. Nectar guides evident, confined to posterior corolla lobe or present on posterior and lateral corolla lobes. Colour ring and nectar guides magenta. Corolla throat yellow. Corolla 6-12 mm diameter. Corolla tube 1 mm long, 1 mm wide, hairy inside, hairs short. Corolla lobes glabrous. Posterior corolla lobe circular, obtuse, 3-6 × 3-7 mm. Lateral corolla lobes circular to elliptic, obtuse, longitudinally folded around stamens, 4.0-4.5 × 3.5-4.0 mm. Anterior corolla lobe oblong to linear, obtuse, 4-5 × 1-2 mm. Stamen filaments white, 3–4(–5) mm long, narrowed at base. Anthers white or pink or magenta, 0.9-1.2 mm long. Nectarial disc ciliolate. Ovary ellipsoid, obtuse, glabrous, 1.0-1.5 mm long. Style 3.0-4.0 mm long. Stigma 0.15 mm wide. Capsules weakly flattened, emarginate, 4.0-4.5 × 3.0-4.0 mm, 2–2.5(–3) mm thick, glabrous. Septicidal split of capsule extending to base. Loculicidal split of capsule extending ½–¾ way to base. Seeds strongly flattened, smooth-surfaced, ellipsoid to discoid, straw yellow to pale brown, 0.8-0.9 × 0.6-0.8 mm
Similar taxa
Veronica decora is easily recognised by its prostrate habit, very dark stems, small glossy dark green leaves (usually with only one pair of crenations), uniform stem pubescence, and stout, tall, erect racemes with the three lowermost flowers often in a whorl. It
Flowering
September - December
Flower colours
Red/Pink, White
Fruiting
November - June
Propagation technique
Easily grown from cuttings, rooted pieces and fresh seed.
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’.
decora: Beautiful
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 decora Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/veronica-decora/ (Date website was queried)