Veronica linifolia
Common names
parahebe
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Blue, White
Detailed description
Low subshrub up to 300 mm tall. Stems brown. Branches decumbent to ascending. Branchlets brown or green. Vegetative internodes 1-10 mm long. Stem bifariously eglandular-pubescent only at distal end of internodes. Leaves erect to reflexed. Lamina linear to oblong (narrowly), 10.0-30.0 × 1.5-3.5 mm. Upper surface of leaves glossy, green; lower surface of leaves dull, pale green. Leaf hairs sparse to scattered, along margins (especially at base), eglandular. Apex rounded. Base cuneate. Margin entire, ciliate (especially at base). Petiole 1.5-4.0 mm long. Inflorescence racemose, 1-8-flowered, unbranched, 30-70 mm long at fruiting; peduncle, rachis, and pedicels glabrous. Peduncle 0.5-40 mm long. Rachis 4-42 mm long. Bracts alternate (basal pair sometimes subopposite), linear to narrowly deltoid, obtuse, glabrous or eglandular ciliate near base, margins entire. Pedicels 8-40 mm long, glabrous. Flowers white, sometimes blue, rarely pink at anthesis, corolla throat yellow. Nectar guides evident present on posterior and lateral corolla lobes, colour ring and nectar guides magenta or purple (NW Nelson). Calyx 4-lobed, 4-7 mm long, glabrous or sparsely eglandular hairy on margins; lobes glabrous, lanceolate, deltoid, elliptic or obovate, acute to subacute (acuminate by infolding near apex), entire. Corolla 12-17 mm diameter, tube 0.5-1.5 × 1.0-1.5 mm, hairy inside, hairs long. Stamen filaments white, 4-8 mm long, narrowed at base. Anthers rarely white or pink or magenta, 1.5-2.2 mm long. Nectarial disc ciliolate. Ovary ellipsoid, emarginate, glabrous or apex eglandular hairy, 1.0-1.7 mm long. Style 4-9 mm long. Capsules weakly flattened, didymous, 3.0-4.5 × 3.5-4.5 mm, usually glabrous. Septicidal split of capsule extending to base, loculicidal split extending 1/3–½-way to base. Seeds ellipsoid, obovoid, discoid, pale brown, dark brown or brown, 0.7-1.3 × 0.5-0.9 mm
Similar taxa
Veronica linifolia is morphologicallly similar to V. colostylis. Both taxa have linear, entire leaves, reduced inflorescences, and broad woody capsules. From Veronica colostylis, V. linifolia differs by the corolla tube which is 0.5–1.5 mm long and hairy inside rather than 1.2-3.5 mm long, and glabrous; by the spreading rather than suberect lobes; conspicuous nectar guides (lacking V. colostylis); by the stamen filaments 4–8 mm rather than 1–3 mm long; and by the style 4-9 mm rather than 2-4 mm long. Veronica linifolia is predominantly outcrossing and V. colostylis is exclusively autogamous.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: South Island (North-Western Nelson to the Rangitata River, on both sides of the main divide).
Habitat
Montane to subalpine. Inhabiting cliffs, rock outcrops, braided rivers (on river gravel), and river banks.
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
Parahebe linifolia (Hook.f.) W.R.B.Oliv. subsp. linifolia, Parahebe linifolia (Hook.f.) W.R.B.Oliv.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October - February
Fruiting
November - May
Propagation technique
Easily grown from cuttings, rooted pieces and fresh seed. Plants dislikes drought and humidity.
Other information
Where To Buy
Not Commercially Available.
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’.
linifolia: Narrow-leaved
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.
VERLIN
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.; Lloyd, D.G. 2003: A taxonomic revision of Parahebe (Plantaginaceae) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42: 181-232.
Attribution
Fact Sheet by P.J. de Lange (5 October 2006). Description adapted from Garnock-Jones and Lloyd (2003).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Veronica linifolia Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/veronica-linifolia/ (Date website was queried)