Veronica lavaudiana
Common names
Banks Peninsula sun hebe
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Bushy small shrub bearing pairs of fleshy red-edged rounded toothed leaves inhabiting Banks Peninsula. Twigs fuzzy (lens needed). Leaves 12-25mm long on a short stalk. Flowers pinkish, in rounded clusters to 4cm long, on stalks above leaves.
Flower colours
Red/Pink, White
Detailed description
Spreading, low shrub 100-300 mm tall. Branches prostrate, trailing, branchlets brown or grey. Leaves spreading to recurved, (7-)12-25(-30) x (6-)8-17 mm, dark green, somewhat glaucous, obovate to orbicular, leathery, margins with 3-10 crenations. Petiole narrowly winged, 2-5(-8) mm. Inflorescence 20-40 mm long, (50-)100-150-flowered Calyx 4-5 mm, lobes 5, lanceolate to deltoid, acuminate, glandular ciliate. Corolla 11-13 mm, pink at anthesis, white after pollination, throat white or pink, corolla tube 1.5-2 mm long, 1.7-2 mm wide, slightly expanded, Lateral corolla lobes elliptic, subacute, suberect to spreading, posterior corolla lobe longer than tube, rhomboid, subacute, erect. Stamen filaments white, inserted at base of corolla tube, 2.5 mm long. Anthers yellow. Seeds pale brown, (1.7-)2-2.5 x 0.7-1 mm. Chromosome Number 2n = 42
Similar taxa
Distinguished from the other Veronica species by the round, dull green leaves, long glandular inflorescence hairs, compact inflorescences, pink flower buds, and large white flowers.
Distribution
Endemic. Known only from Banks Peninsula.
Habitat
A species of open rock outcrops and cliff faces, often growing in the most exposed sunny habitats.
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 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: CI, RR
Threats
Threatened by gorse (Ulex europaeus) with overshadowed plants and other weeds which are invading the open rock outcrop habitat this species requires.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Hebe lavaudiana (Raoul) Cockayne et Allan; Heliohebe lavaudiana (Raoul) Garn.-Jones; Parahebe lavaudiana (Hook.f.) Heads
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October to November (-January)
Fruiting
January (-March)
Propagation technique
Easily grown from fresh seed and semi-hardwood cuttings. Requires a free draining, sunny spot with reasonably air movement. Prone to fungal diseases and dislikes high humidity.
Other information
Cultivation
Periodically offered by most commercial garden centres. Plants are held by several specialist native plant nurseries.
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.
VERLAV
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 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: RR
2012 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: RR
2009 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: OL
2004 | Serious Decline
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
Fact Sheet Prepared by P.J. de Lange (1 November 2004). Description based on Garnock-Jones (1993)
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Veronica lavaudiana Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/veronica-lavaudiana/ (Date website was queried)