Flora of New Zealand Series

Veronica menziesii var. divaricata Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 512.

H. subfulvida Simpson et Thomson in T.R.S.N.Z. 73, 1943, 163.

H. corymbosa Simpson in T.R.S.N.Z. 79, 1952, 428.

Type locality: Rai Valley. Type: A, 7909, J. H. McMahon.

Erect much-branched shrub to 3 m. tall. Branchlets rather slender, very finely pubescent, length of internodes 2-4 × diam. Lvs wide-spreading to deflexed, 2-3 cm. × 3-4 mm., narrow-lanceolate, upper surface ± shining, undersurface dull with ∞ stomata; lf-bud with long narrow sinus, the lamina-base cuneately narrowed into short petiole; lamina glab., acute, entire, margins us. with minute hairs towards base. Infls lateral, compound, with several branches of first order and us. some of second order, together overtopping terminal lf-bud in broad corymb; peduncle much < lvs, slightly pubescent. Pedicels c. 3 mm. long, > narrow bracts. Calyx-lobes c. 1·5 mm. long, obtuse to subacute, ciliolate, anterior lobes free for most of their length. Corolla white, tube c. 4 mm. long, lobes < tube, rounded. Capsule 4-5 × 3 mm., ± acute, glab.

DIST.: S. Marlborough and Nelson. Forest, streamsides and rocks.

FL. 1-2.

The plants here assembled under the name H. divaricata are those traditionally but rather uncertainly called H. menziesii, a sp. now regarded as of uncertain status. There is great diversity within this group but no good criteria have been found to delimit the two later-described spp. from H. divaricata.

H. subfulvida was described from "Stream banks and forest margins at the Pelorus, Maitai and Tinline Valleys", type BD 76003, Pelorus Valley, G. Simpson. Type and isotype specimens agree well with Cheeseman's specimens of var. divaricata. The authors comment: "This is, in the main, the H. menziesii of Cheeseman's Manual (1906-512) . . . The present authors' (1942-27) restriction of H. menziesii to the Fiord and part of the South Otago Botanical Districts left the very different Nelson-Marlborough plant without a name." Their Fiordland plant is discussed under H. odora.

H. corymbosa was based on plants "from the shrub association at 800-900 m. altitude" on Dun Mountain, Nelson, type BD 75693 "from plant in cultivation collected by Mr N. Potts at Dun Mt., Nelson, G. Simpson". The corymbs are full and freely branched, but no other distinctive characters have been recognized.