Veronica scrupea
Common name
Waiautoa sun hebe
Synonyms
Heliohebe acuta Garn.-Jones
Family
Plantaginaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
Yes
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Chromosome number
2n = 42
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 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: DP, RR
Previous conservation statuses
2009 | At Risk – Declining | Qualifiers: DP, RR
2004 | Serious Decline
Brief description
Rare low growing reddish shrub bearing clusters of pinkish flowers inhabiting two sites in the Kaikoura mountains. Leaves folded to give a boat-shaped appearance, margins toothed. Flowers in a cluster 1-2cm long at tips of twigs. Fruit a dry capsule.
Distribution
South Island: Seaward and Inland Kaikoura Ranges only.
Habitat
Largely confined to bare eroding ribs of black, excessively shattered greywacke (argillite).
Features
Small shrub, 50-200mm tall. Branchlets upright, red-brown to grey, with thick corky bark. Leaves narrow, leathery and shiny, rigid, 5-15mm long, 2-6mm wide, sides of leaves usually folded upwards to give a boat-shaped appearance; upper surface green to bronze-green and shiny, undersurface very pale, dull, with numerous pores. Leaf margins red with shallow, rounded or sharp teeth. Flower head 1-2cm long, at end of branch (with 30-70 flowers), 5-8mm diameter, bright pink at first, mauve after pollination; throat pink, pale yellow anthers. Seed capsule dark brown, swollen and smooth, 2-2.5mm long, 1-1.5mm wide. Capsules splitting open to one third when ripe.
Similar taxa
Veronica raoulii, V. pentasepala are superficially similar. From these V. scrupea differs by having boat-shaped leaves with toothed and reddish margins and no wings on leaf stalks. Veronica raoulii has smaller, pink-mauve to white flowers and broad unfolded leaves. Veronica pentasepala has pink to pale pink flowers and longer, only weakly folded leaves. The latter two species both have narrowly winged leaf stalks.
Flowering
October to November
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Violet/Purple
Fruiting
Unknown
Propagation technique
Easy from semi hardwood cuttings but difficult to maintain.
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’.
Where To Buy
Not commercially available but plants are held by several Botanic Gardens and specialist growers.
Attribution
Fact Sheet Prepared by P.J. de Lange (1 November 2004). Description based on Garnock-Jones (1993)
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
Citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Veronica scrupea Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/veronica-scrupea/ (Date website was queried)