Veronica lanceolata
Common name
parahebe
Synonyms
Parahebe catarractae subsp. lanceolata (Benth.) Garn.-Jones, Veronica diffusa (Hook.f.) Hook.f., Veronica catarractae var. diffusa Hook.f., Parahebe catarractae subsp. diffusa (Hook.f.) Garn.-Jones, Veronica irrigans Kirk, Parahebe lanceolata (Benth.) Garn.-Jones
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.
PARLAN
Chromosome number
2n = 42
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 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island (Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato (Pirongia, Tawarau, Herangi Range, King Country); Taranaki (Mt Messenger, Waitara River to Oakura River and Kaitake Range); Main Divide from East Cape to Wellington; Volcanic Plateau; Manawatu and Wanganui districts) South Island (North-West Nelson (Wakamarama Range)
Habitat
Coastal to montane. Usually rheophytic, growing within the floodline of streams and rivers or within river gorges. Also colonising damp seepages on silt and sandstone cliffs, and on basalt and limestone bluffs
Features
Subshrub to 450 mm tall. Old stems brown, red-brown or grey. Branches prostrate to erect. Branchlets brown or red-brown. Vegetative internodes (5–)8–20(–70) mm long. Stems bifariously or uniformly eglandular pubescent rarely glabrous. Leaves erecto-patent or spreading or recurved. Lamina linear, lanceolate, oblanceolate, ovate, obovate, oblong, elliptic, orbicular deltoid or rhomboid, 5.0-100.0 × 1.5-25.0 mm. Upper surface of leaves glossy or dull, green, bronze-green, light green or dark green, under surface dull, green, bronze green, pale green or pinkish. Leaf hairs eglandular-glandular, sparse, scattered or absent, along midrib above. Apex acute, subacute or acuminate. Base cuneate, subcordate or cordate. Margin glabrous, serrate (teeth or lobes in 1-15 pairs). Petiole 1-6 mm long. Inflorescence racemose, 4-30-flowered, unbranched, 30-350 mm long at fruiting. Indumentum of peduncle, rachis, and pedicels absent to very dense. Peduncle 15-120 mm long. Rachis 15-140 mm long, glabrous, eglandular-pubescent or glandular-pubescent. Bracts alternate, linear, lanceolate, elliptic, ovate or narrowly deltoid, obtuse, subacute, acute or acuminate, margins entire. Pedicels 5-25 mm long, glabrous, eglandular-pubescent or glandular-pubescent. Flowers white at anthesis. Nectar guides evident, present on posterior and lateral corolla lobes. Colour ring and nectar guides magenta. Corolla throat yellow. Calyx 4-lobed, 2-4 mm long, linear, lanceolate, elliptic, ovate, obovate, oblong, acuminate to obtuse, margins entire, surfaces either glabrous or eglandular, glandular, mixed eglandular-glandular on margins undersides surface. Corolla 8-15 mm diameter; tube 0.5-1.5 × 1 mm, hairy inside, hairs short or papillate. Corolla lobes glabrous. Stamen filaments white, 2-4 mm long. Anthers pink or magenta, 0.8-1.5 mm long. Nectarial disc ciliolate. Ovary ellipsoid, subacute or obtuse, glabrous, 0.8-1.0 mm long. Style 3.5-7.0 mm long. Capsules weakly flattened, emarginate, 2.5-4.5 × 2.5-4.0 mm, 2.5-3.5 mm thick, glabrous. Septicidal split of capsule extending to base, loculicidal split of capsule extending 1/3-½-way to base. Seeds obovoid or discoid, straw-yellow or pale brown or brown, 0.5-1.1 × 0.5-0.9 mm
Similar taxa
Veronica lanceolata is most similar to V. senex from which it is chiefly distinguished by its much smaller size and more gracile growth habit, green, bronze-green, light green or dark green, glossy or dull, lanceolate to ovate rather than normally dull grey-green, elliptic leaves, which are usually glabrous rather than finely eglandular-pubescent, and by the glabrous rather than short, straight, pale hairy calyces, ovary and capsules.
Flowering
September - April
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Fruiting
November - August
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’.
lanceolata: Lance-shaped
Where To Buy
Occasionally available from specialist native plant nurseries
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 lanceolata Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/veronica-lanceolata/ (Date website was queried)