Flora of New Zealand Series

Veronica ligustrifolia var. gracillima Kirk in T.N.Z.I. 28, 1896, 527.

V. gracillima (Kirk) Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 510.

Type locality: Near Westport. Type: W, 5337, Dr. Gaze.

Laxly branched shrub to 2 m. or more tall. Branchlets uniformly and finely pubescent, length of internodes us. much > diam. Lvs spreading, c. 4 cm. × 6 mm., narrow-lanceolate; lf-bud with sinus, sts very small; lamina of characteristic texture, drying almost black, glab. except for very fine pubescence above and sts below midrib, on entire margin and extending to petiole. Infls lateral, simple, us. >, often much > lvs. Pedicels long, bracts small or narrow, ciliolate. Calyx-lobes 1·5-2 mm. long, obtuse to subacute, ciliolate. Corolla white or very pale coloured, tube little > calyx, us. < rather pointed lobes. Capsule erect, glab., to 2 × calyx.

DIST.: S. North of c. lat. 43°, chiefly west of main divide. Often in damp or swampy places.

FL. 1-4.

Cockayne and Allan (loc. cit. 24) considered that Kirk's var. gracillima was based on a hybrid of origin "H. angustifolia × salicifolia var. communis" and proposed the name × H. gracillima to be applied to "the small group of forms intermediate between the parents". They suggested that the polymorphic series of hybrids might occur throughout the northwestern part of South Id. While there is evidence of extensive crossing between H. salicifolia and several of the smaller-lvd spp. of these northern parts of South Id, there are certain characters of H. gracillima which appear in various combinations but for which none of the suggested parents seems a likely source, especially the fine even pubescence of the young stems and the quite peculiar almost spongy lf-texture resulting in a very characteristic dark colour on drying. Pending the resolution of this complex it seems best to retain the oldest name that has been used with specific rank to cover those elements that have least evidence of hybrid origin. Townson (T.N.Z.I. 39, 1907, 418) records "V. gracillima Buller Valley and especially abundant in swamps between Fairdown and Waimangaroa".

Veronica parviflora var. phillyreaefolia Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 1, 1854, 192 was based on specimens from "Nelson, abundant, Bidwill" and the type in K approaches H. gracillima as do also some but not all of the plants attributed by Cheeseman to V. leiophylla. V. divergens Cheesem. and V. salicifolia var. paludosa Ckn. may well be hybrids with H. gracillima as one parent.