Veronica maccaskillii
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Tight bushy shrub bearing pairs of small rounded leaves inhabiting north Canterbury limestone. Leaves 4-9 mm long. Flowers pinkish, in clusters of 10-60.
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Detailed description
Spreading, semi-divaricating shrub 50-300 mm tall. Branches prostrate to decumbent. Leaves erecto-patent to spreading, oblanceolate to obovate spathulate, 4-9(-15) x 2-5(-7) mm, apex obtuse to rounded, margin entire to crenate, with 0-2(-3) pairs of crenations. Upper leaf surface green to bronze-green, dull. Petiole 1-2(-3) mm long. Inflorescence 10-60-flowered. Calyx lobes 5. Corolla white or mauve at anthesis, in which case fading thereafter. Stamen filaments inserted at middle of corolla tube, 3-3.5 mm long. Nectarial disc glabrous to glandular-ciliate. Ovary glabrous or sparsely hairy. Style (4-)6-7 mm long, glabrous, sometimes sparsely hairy at the base. Stigma capitate. Capsule turgid, emarginate, sometimes appearing almost didymous. Seeds 1.2-1.6 x 0.6-0.7 mm.
Similar taxa
Allied to Veronica raoulii from which it differs by the denser, almost divaricating growth form, smaller, more rounded, barely toothed or entire leaves, and by the mauve to white corollas.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand, South Island. Known only from North Canterbury in the vicinity of Waipara, Waikari, Mt Cass, Mt Brown and Okuku area.
Habitat
A limestone endemic. Favouring cracked and jointed limestone outcrops, where it is usually found in semi-shaded situations.
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 Endangered | Qualifiers: DPT, RR
Threats
Seriously threatened through habitat loss and weed invasion (particularly Festuca rubra). This plant is a very narrow-range endemic, whose limestone bluff habitat is now largely surrounded by pasture. Many of the known locations are now either too dry, or suboptimal due to weed invasion from adjacent pasture. Recruitment failure is a problem at many sites.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Veronica raoulii subsp. maccaskillii (Allan) Garn.-Jones; Hebe raoulii var. maccaskillii Allan, Parahebe raoulii subsp. maccaskillii (Allan) Heads, Heliohebe raoulii subsp. maccaskillii (Allan) Garn.-Jones; Heliohebe maccaskillii (Allan) D.A.Norton et Molloy
Taxonomic notes
Heliohebe maccaskillii was proposed at species rank by Norton & Molloy (2009). Their decision was based on the symtopy of this species with Heliohebe raouliiand also by consistent morphological and ecological differences between both species. This view was accepted by Heenan (2012) when transferring this taxon over to Veronica at species rank.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October to November
Fruiting
December to January
Propagation technique
May be grown from fresh seed and semi-hardwood cuttings. However can be difficult to maintain and dislikes humid climates. Probably does best in a well drained, sunny site, growing within a soil subtly enriched with base-rich minerals.
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’.
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.
VERMCC
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 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: RR
2012 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: RR
2009 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered | Qualifiers: RR
2004 | Threatened – Nationally Endangered
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: 323-33.
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.
Heenan, P.B. 2012: Taxonomic notes on the New Zealand flora: new names in Veronica (Plantaginaceae). New Zealand Journal of Botany 50: 87-88.
Norton, D.A.; Molloy, B.P.J. 2009: Heliohebe maccaskillii (Plantaginaceae) - a new rank for a threatened limestone endemic, North Canterbury, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 47: 405-409.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (9 August 2009). Description based on Garnock-Jones (1994).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Veronica maccaskillii Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/veronica-maccaskillii/ (Date website was queried)