Flora of New Zealand Series

Veronica coarctata Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 531 pro parte.

Original localities: "Mount Arthur and Mount Owen, T. F. C. Mount Owen and Brunner Range, Townson!" Lectotype: A, 8233, Mt. Arthur Plateau, T. F. Cheeseman, Jan. 1886.

Spreading much-branched shrub up to 1 m. tall but us. less; branches often decumbent or arching and bearing branchlets on upper side only. Ultimate branchlets 1·5-2 mm. diam., not or only slightly tetragonous, us. glossy; internodes 1-1·5-(2) mm. long, sts partly exposed; nodal joint well-marked. Lvs (1)-1·5-2 mm. long, connate 1/3 to 1/2 length, deltoid-ovate to ovate-oblong, thick, strongly concavo-convex, rounded on back, tip obtuse to acute, us. weakly keeled, slightly thickened and incurved. Spikes up to 12-fld. Bracts 1·5-2.5 mm. long, ovate, obtuse or with ± acute thickened tip, ± ribbed. Calyx 2-3 mm. long, anterior lobes narrow-ovate, subacute, ± ribbed, free for ⅔ or more length. Corolla-tube = or slightly > calyx. Capsule c. 3 mm. long, oval, obtuse or subacute, > calyx.

DIST.: S. From N.W. Nelson to the Brunner Range and Mt. Robert. Sub-alpine grassland.

Included in Cheeseman's V. coarctata folder with specimens matching the description given above are three sheets of the hitherto unrecognized and superficially similar sp. H. ochracea. The type description of V. coarctata is broad and could equally be applied to either sp., while collections cited by Cheeseman (quoted above) include both; the name is here retained for the more widespread sp. to which it has been generally applied.

Closely related to H. hectori, differing in more spreading, densely branched habit, more slender branchlets and smaller fls rather than in any important structural character. It sts resembles forms of H. laingii. Variable in the size, shape and closeness of imbrication of the lvs and sts approaching H. subsimilis.