Veronica hulkeana subsp. hulkeana
Common names
NZ lilac
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Bushy small shrub bearing glossy fleshy pairs of red edged oval toothed leaves inhabiting the Kaikoura Ranges. Twigs fuzzy (lens needed). Leaves 20-45mm long by 10-20mm wide on a 10-15mm long stalk that widens towards leaf. Flowers pinkish, in clusters to 50cm long, stems fuzzy.
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Detailed description
Stem densely puberulent when young, becoming glabrous, hairs glandular or eglandular; eglandular stem hairs patent to recurved. Leaves erecto-patent to spreading; lamina narrowly to broadly lanceolate, ovate, oblong, or elliptic, (10-) 20-45 (-60) x (5-) 10—20 (-35) mm; apex acute, subacute, obtuse, rounded, or truncate; marginal teeth in 5-12 (-20) pairs; adaxial surface of leaves with minute twin-headed glandular hairs on midrib; abaxial surface of leaves glabrous, or sparsely hairy on midrib. Petiole (5-)10-15 (-20) mm long. Rachis glabrous basally, individual rachises of racemes puberulent or glandular-puberulent. Pedicels eglandular-puberulent, 0-0.5 mm long. Calyx (1.5-) 1.8-2.0 (-2.5) mm long; lobes elliptic to broadly obovoid, subacute or obtuse, eglandular-ciliate or with mixed glandular and eglandular cilia. Corolla tube funnelform; lobes glabrous or sparsely ciliate. Stamen filaments inserted between middle and base of corolla tube. Nectarial disk ciliolate, glabrous, or glandular-ciliate. Ovary glabrous, eglandular hairy, or glandular hairy, (0.6-) 0.8 x 0.8 mm, 0.6-0.8 mm thick. Capsule (2.5-) 3.0-4.0 (-4.5) mm long, 2.0 (-2.5) mm thick, glabrous; loculicidal split extending ½ -way to base.
Similar taxa
This subspecies is distinguished from Veronica hulkeana subsp. evestita by the densely puberulent young stems and inflorescences and broadly rounded eglandular-ciliate calyx lobes.
Distribution
Endemic. South Island – Marlborough and Canterbury
Habitat
River gorges, coastal cliffs, rock outcrops, up to 900m, on limestone, greywacke, and conglomerate.
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
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Hebe hulkeana (F.Muell.) Cockayne et Allan; Parahebe hulkeana (F.Muell.) Heads; Heliohebe hulkeana (F.Muell.) Garn.-Jones subsp. hulkeana
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October-November
Fruiting
November-February
Other information
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’.
Chromosome number
2n = 42
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
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Garnock-Jones, P.J. 1993: Heliohebe (Scrophulariaceae Veroniceae), a new genus segregated from Hebe. New Zealand Journal of Botany 31: 323-339.
Garnock-Jones, P.J.; Albach, D.; Briggs, B.G. 2007: Botanical names in Southern Hemisphere Veronica (Plantaginaceae): sect. Detzneria, ect. Hebe, and sect. Labiatoides. Taxon 56: 571-582
Attribution
Description adapted by M. Ward from Garnock-Jones, P.J. 1993: Heliohebe (Scrophulariaceae Veroniceae), a new genus segregated from Hebe. New Zealand Journal of Botany 31: 329-330. © The Royal Society of New Zealand, reprinted by permission of Taylor & Francis Ltd, www.tandfonline.com on behalf of The Royal Society of New Zealand.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: Ward, M.D. (Year at time of access): Veronica hulkeana subsp. hulkeana Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/veronica-hulkeana-subsp-hulkeana/ (Date website was queried)