Veronica salicifolia
Common name
Koromiko
Synonyms
Veronica fonkii Phil., Veronica salicifolia var. communis Cockayne, Hebe salicifolia var. communis (Cockayne) Cockayne et Allan, Hebe salicifolia (G.Forst.) Pennell
Family
Plantaginaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
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.
HEBSAL
Chromosome number
2n = 40
Current conservation status
The conservation 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). 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.
2012 | Not Threatened
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Brief description
Bushy shrub bearing pairs of narrow pointed leaves inhabiting the South and Stewart Islands. Leaves variable, to 132mm long, gradually tapering to narrow tip, margin often uneven and with fine hairs (lens needed). Leaf bud with very small gap between leaves at base. Flowers in spikes to 23cm long.
Distribution
Throughout South Island (except for Marlborough Sounds) and Stewart Island, and on Auckland Island and in Chile; naturalised in western Europe (Webb 1972).
Habitat
Occurs from sea-level to close to the treeline, mostly in open sites, and in forest.
Features
Openly branched bushy shrub to 2.5 m tall. Branches erect, old stems brown or grey; branchlets green or orange, glabrous (often) or puberulent, hairs bifarious to uniform; internodes (1-) 6-18 (-34) mm; leaf decurrencies evident or obscure. Leaf bud distinct; sinus square to oblong. Leaves erecto-patent; lamina narrowly lanceolate or oblanceolate, coriaceous or subcoriaceous, shallowly m-shaped in transverse section, (34-) 60-106 (-132) x (6-) 11- 18 (-28) mm; apex acuminate; brochidodromous secondary veins evident in fresh leaves; margin cartilaginous, pubescent or ciliate, distantly denticulate or entire; upper surface green, dull, with few or many stomata, hairy along midrib; lower surface light green, glabrous or hairy along midrib or sometimes covered with minute glandular hairs; petiole (1-) 2-4 (-5) mm, hairy along margins and above and below. Inflorescences with 100-250 flowers, lateral, unbranched, (5-) 7-18 (-23) cm; peduncle (0.7-) 1.3-4.5 (-6) cm; rachis (3.5-) 5.5-17.5 cm. Bracts alternate, lanceolate or linear, acute or subacute. Flowers hermaphrodite (or possibly some male-sterile). Pedicels (0.7-) 1.3-3 (-4.7) mm, sometimes recurved in fruit. Calyx 1.5-3 mm lobes ovate or lanceolate, acute or subacute. Corolla tube hairy inside and often outside, 2.5-3.2 x 1.6-1.8 mm, contracted at base, longer than calyx; lobes white or tinged mauve at anthesis, lanceolate, acute to subacute, suberect or erect, longer than corolla tube, sometimes with a few hairs toward base on inner surface and/or ciliate (e.g. WELT 16280). Stamen filaments 5-8.5 mm; anthers mauve, 1.5-1.9 mm. Ovary 0.9-1.1 mm; ovules 14-19 per locule, in 1-2 layers; style 4-6 mm. sometimes sparsely hairy. Capsules subacute or obtuse, 2.5-3.5 x 2.5-3 mm, loculicidal split extending ¼-¾-way to base (most approximately 1/3). Seeds flattened, broad ellipsoid to discoid, straw-yellow. (0.6-) 0.7-1.1 x 0.6-0.9 mm, micropylar rim 0.1-0.2 mm.
Similar taxa
The most common Veronica of lowland and montane areas of South Island distinguished from most others by the size of its leaves. Similar South Island species are V. stricta, from which it differs in the presence of a leaf bud sinus, and V. phormiiphila (see notes under that species). It hybridises with V. elliptica, V. calcicola (Bayly et al. 2001). probably V. albicans and V. strictissima (see notes under those species), and potentially other species with which it co-occurs.
Flowering
(October-) December-June (-July)
Flower colours
Violet/Purple, White
Fruiting
(November-) January- June (-July)
Life cycle
Seeds are wind dispersed (Thorsen et al., 2009).
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’.
salicifolia: From the Latin Salix ‘willow’ and -folia ‘leaf’, meaning ‘willow-leaved’
Taxonomic notes
It is not known whether V. salicifolia occurs naturally on Auckland Island or was introduced there. Two confirmed specimens (WELT 11157, WELT 83266!) are from a single plant growing close to a ruined house site near Lindley Point (Johnson & Campbell 1975). A more recent specimen from the same general area, CHR 437295, “nr. Deas Head” W.R. Sykes ZS/87, 13 Feb. 1987, resembles V. salicifolia, but is not identified with certainty (in the size of the flowers and inflorescences, and in leaf margin pubescence, it resembles some V. salicifolia x V. elliptica hybrids).
Attribution
Description adapted by M. Ward from Bayly & Kellow (2006).
References and further reading
Bayly, M.J., Kellow, A.V. 2006. An illustrated guide to New Zealand Hebes. Wellington, N.Z.: Te Papa press pg. 268.
Johnson, P. N. and Campbell, D. J. 1975. Vascular plants of the Auckland Islands. New Zealand Journal of Botany 13: 665-720.
Webb, D. A. 1972. Hebe. In: Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burgess, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. and Webb, D. A., eds, Flora Europaea. Vol. 3, Diapensiaceae to Myoporaceae. London: Cambridge University Press. pp. 251-2.
Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285-309
Citation
Please cite as: Ward, M.D. (Year at time of access): Veronica salicifolia Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/veronica-salicifolia/ (Date website was queried)