Flora of New Zealand Series

Veronica canterburiense J. B. Armst. in N.Z. Ctry J. 3, 1879, 58.

Hebe vernicosa var. canterburiensis (J. B. Armst.) Ckn. et Allan in T.N.Z.I. 57, 1926, 30.

Type: CM, Herb. Armstrong, "Arthur's Pass, 3-4000 ft. J. B. A."

Low-growing us. erect shrub up to 1 m. tall. Branchlets us. fully minutely pubescent, length of internodes 1-2 × diam. Lvs partly imbricate and at the same time ± distichously arranged, 7-17 mm. long, ± obovate, subcoriac., ± glossy above; lf-bud with long narrow sinus; lamina subacute, blunt at extreme apex, entire; petiole, lf-margin and sts upper surface of midrib minutely pubescent. Infls lateral, simple, rarely > 2.5 cm. long, rather dense-fld; peduncle short, us. hidden. Fls very shortly pedicellate in axils of short ciliolate bracts. Calyx-lobes c. 2.5 mm. long, subacute, ciliolate on membr. margin. Corolla white, tube at least = calyx, often rather longer, lobes 4-5 mm. long when dry. Capsule erect, acuminate, glab., dark, barely 2 × calyx.

DIST.: N. Tararua Range, near Mt. Holdsworth, A. P. Druce, D. Franklin, S. Mountains from Nelson and western Marlborough to Arthur Pass, mostly in shrubby tussock-grassland.

FL. 11-1. Original record: "Arthur's Pass, and other places".

The differences from H. vernicosa are clear-cut and apparently constant. No intermediates have been seen from Nelson mountains where the two spp. both grow near to bushline.

There is perhaps a distinct var. of H. canterburiensis west of the main divide. A 8030 Waimangaroa Riv. near Westport, W. Townson No. 20 resembles H. canterburiensis in infl., fl. and fr. but looks very different; lvs are 10-12 × 4-5 mm., narrow-lanceolate not obovate, very dark green, very glossy, very distichous, with marginal but no midrib pubescence. Very similar specimens without infls are: W 5355, Waimangaroa River, 2900 ft, W 5356, Upper Mackley River near Westport, 1000 ft, W 5357 Mt. William Range, S. W. Nelson, 2000 ft, all collected by P. G. Morgan; W 5358 The Hump, Fiord Co., J. C. Smith. Flowering specimens without locality are in Herb. F. G. Gibbs, and a similar plant, probably from near Westport, is growing at Otari Open Air Plant Museum.