Veronica jovellanoides
Past favourite plant finalist
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
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 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: DPT, EF, OL
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Lianes & Related Trailing Plants - Dicotyledons
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Detailed description
Creeping hairy herb, spreading over 2–3m and rooting freely at nodes; stems up to 2m long but only up to 50mm tall. Old stems and branchlets brown to red-brown, prostrate or decumbent; vegetative internodes 5–30mm long; stem pubescence uniform, eglandular. Leaves decussate but flattened into one plane on prostrate stems; lamina 3.5–11 ´ 4.5–12mm, orbicular or deltoid or spathulate, thin; upper surface green, dull; lower surface pale green to pinkish, dull; leaf hairs eglandular, antrorse, sparse to scattered along margins and on one or both surfaces especially near veins; apex obtuse to rounded; base truncate to subcordate; midrib weakly evident above and beneath; margins green or reddish, crenate to serrate; teeth in 3–5 pairs each side; petiole narrowly winged, 2–10mm, densely hairy below. Inflorescence racemose, unbranched, 1–7-flowered, 40–80mm long at fruiting; hairs of peduncle, rachis and pedicels uniformly distributed, moderately dense, white; peduncle 15–25mm long; rachis 20–30mm long; bracts alternate, entire, linear to oblanceolate, subacute to acute, hairy below and on margins, glabrous above; pedicels patent or ascending, straight, 7–12mm long. Calyx 4-lobed, 3.5–6.0mm long; lobes equal, narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, subacute to acute, margins and lower surface hairy, margins membranous, entire. Corolla 10–12mm diameter, white, with a magenta colour ring outside the throat and very short magenta nectar guides on all lobes; throat yellowish-green, glabrous; tube c.1.0 ´ 0.8–1.2mm, glabrous; lobes glabrous; posterior lobe rounded, broader than long, obtuse, spreading, 5.0–5.5 ´ 6.5–7.0mm; lateral lobes circular, obtuse, spreading, flat, not enfolding stamens, 4.5–5.0 ´ 5.0–5.5mm; anterior lobe elliptic, obtuse, spreading, 4.5–5.0 ´ 3.5–4.0mm. Stamen filaments white, slightly narrowed at base and apex, erect and slightly curved inwards towards the style, 4.0–4.5mm long; anthers pink, 0.8–1.0 mm long. Ovary globose to didymous, obtuse, glabrous, 0.6–0.8mm long; style glabrous, white, tapering towards base, 3.5–4.0mm long; stigma capitate, 0.6–0.8mm wide. Capsules splitting when dry but opening further on wetting, narrowly angustiseptate, didymous, green to pale brown, 3.2–6.0 ´ 3.5–5.5mm, 2–3mm thick, glabrous; style persistent at fruiting; septicidal split extending ¾-way to base; loculicidal split extending ½–¾-way to base. Seeds strongly flattened, smooth-surfaced, ellipsoid, pale brown, 1.2–1.8 ´ 1.0–1.4mm.
Similar taxa
Veronica jovellanoides has no close resemblance to any other species in the genus. Veronica spathulata, a central North Island, alpine woody species, has rather similar spathulate leaves, and leaf toothing. However this alpine semi-woody species has longer-tubed pure white flowers.
Distribution
Endemic. North I. West Auckland, Riverhead Forest.
Habitat
Known only from a small (20ha) mixed Podocarp/hardwood forest where it grows on shaded, seasonally damp ground amongst sparse ferns, liverworts and mosses alongside a small stream.
Threats
Veronica jovellanoides was discovered in a small Queen Elizabeth II Reserve in November 2007. It is currently known from just three plants occupying an area of 6m2. Although the species does not seem to be actively threatened the only known population is vulnerable to invasive weeds such as Tradescantia fluminensis, Ajuga reptans, Selaginella kraussiana and Crocosmia ×crocosmiiflora which are common within the reserve, and also to trampling by people and feral animals.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Parahebe jovellanoides (Garn.-Jones et de Lange) de Lange
Taxonomic notes
Veronica jovellanoides was transferred to Parahebe by de Lange in de Lange et al. (2010). This decision was taken to accommodate the species in a genus many people were still wishing to use in preference to Veronica. Since then there has been general agreement that the New Zealand segregate genera Chionohebe, Hebe, Hebejebee, Heliohebe, and Parahebe shoudl be merged with Veronica. Whilst this view is not universally accepted it is now being followed by the NZPCN.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October–December.
Fruiting
December–February.
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed, stem cuttings and rooted pieces. Does best in dappled light in a moist but free draining soil. Unfortunately this species is extremely prone to powdery mildew but can seriously damage and even kill plants.
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 = 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 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: DP, EF, OL
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: DP
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: Sp
Regional conservation statuses
Auckland: 2025 | Regionally Threatened – Regionally Critical | Qualifiers: Sp, CD, DPR, DPS, DPT, NStr, NR, OL, RR, RF, RE, TL
The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Auckland conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation status of vascular plant species in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland” Simpkins E et al. (2025) report.
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
de Lange, P.J.; Heenan, P.B.; Norton, D.A.; Rolfe, J.R.; Sawyer, J.W.D. 2010: Threatened Plants of New Zealand. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared by P.J. de Lange (12 November 2009): Description based on Davidson et al. (2009).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Veronica jovellanoides Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/veronica-jovellanoides/ (Date website was queried)