Flora of New Zealand Series

Logania tetragona Hook. f. Handbk N.Z. Fl. 1864, 188

non Veronica tetragona Hook. f.

V. dasyphylla Kirk in T.N.Z.I. 28, 1896, 519.

Hebe dasyphylla (Kirk) Ckn. et Allan in T.N.Z.I. 57, 1926, 42.

Type locality: "Otago, lake district, alpine". Type: K, Hector and Buchanan.

Low, much-branched, rather rigid shrub forming tufts or loose patches; stems woody, prostrate or decumbent, rooting in older parts; branches ascending, c. 2-5 cm. long, densely retrorsely hairy. Lvs closely to loosely quadrifariously imbricate, spreading or ± appressed, 3-6 × 1·5-3·5 mm., broadly ovate to oblong or lanceolate-oblong, obtuse to subacute, very coriac., ± keeled, concavo-convex in upper part with cartilaginous re-curved margins, surfaces glab., margins ciliate in lower half. Bracts 4-5 mm. long, narrow-oblong, keeled, ciliate below, sts rugose in lower parts. Calyx 4-6 mm. long, coriac. and strongly rugose, divided 1/2 to ⅔ way into broadly oblong, obtuse lobes up to 2.5 mm. wide; tube and lower portion of lobes white-pubescent and us. also glandular-hairy, sts glab., lobes ciliate, sparsely white-hairy within. Corolla white, 10-15 mm. diam., broad-funnelform, divided 1/2 to ⅔ way into 5 obtuse spreading lobes up to 5 mm. wide. Capsule ± 3-4 × 3 mm., glab.

DIST.: S. Subalpine fellfield, tussock-grassland and moist peaty hollows from c. lat. 44° southwards.

There is a specimen in W labelled "Mt. Arthur, per A. McKay" and Kirk (loc. cit.) records "Nelson - Mount Arthur &c., W. H. Bryant", but the locality needs confirmation.

Little is known of the effect of habitat on size and habit and the status of the vars is uncertain. Narrow-lvd plants with short broad lf-cilia which have been collected in the Lake Wakatipu district can be separated to a certain extent from broad-lvd plants with longer finer cilia, but most are not as distinct as the type of var. subacuta. Garvie Mts plants differ from the majority in almost glab. calyx, while specimens from the Kakanui Mts (Otago Univ. Herb., G. T. S. Baylis) have lvs with a rim of incurved hairs at the apex. Lvs with a distinct notch on each side are occ. seen.

A polymorphic sp. occupying a wide range of habitats. The type has closely imbricated ovate-oblong obtuse lvs c. 4 × 2 mm. Two vars have been described:

Veronica dasyphylla var. minor Simpson et Thomson in T.R.S.N.Z. 72, 1942, 30. "Much smaller in all its parts as compared with the type. Branches laxly leafy, 4 mm. diam. with the leaves on . . . Leaves small, 3 mm. long, 2 mm. broad, obovate, rounded at the tips . . . Corolla 1 cm. diam. when spread. . . . Habitat: Turfy hollows amongst low grasses and other vegetation on the summit of Mt. St. Mary, Waitaki Valley . . . The slender open and laxly leafy habit, the small rounded leaves, and smaller flowers of this plant separate it from all other forms near to the type." Type: BD 75709, probably from a plant in cultivation.

V. dasyphylla var. subacuta Simpson et Thomson loc. cit. 30. "Smaller than the type. Branches closely leafy, 4 mm. diam. . . . Leaves smaller, 3 mm. long, 1 mm. broad, linear lanceolate, subacute. . . . Flowers as in var. minor. Habitat: Peaty ridges at Rough Peaks, Lake Wakatipu. . . . Easily separated by its smaller size and its small linear lanceolate leaves. We are acquainted with this variety in other parts of the Lake Wakatipu district. . . ." Type: BD 70216, from a plant in cultivation. The lvs are not quite as narrow as described.