Flora of New Zealand Series

Veronica olsenii Col. in T.N.Z.I. 28, 1896, 607.

Parahebe olsenii (Col.) W. R. B. Oliver loc. cit. 230.

Type locality: "Ruahine Mountain-range, east side: Mr. A. Olsen; 1894-95." Type: W, Herb. Colenso.

Stems uniformly or bifariously pubescent. Laminae narrow-ovate to suborbicular, acute to subacute, us. closely, shallowly, and ± sharply (rarely bluntly) serrate, glab., cuneately narrowed into distinct flattened petiole. Infl. with only crisped non-glandular pubescence or sts also glandular-hairy. Capsule often broader than long, 2.5-4 × 4-5 mm., valves incurved at apex.

DIST.: N. Ruahine Range.

Approaches closely the most coriac, subalpine forms of P. catarractae. The type folder (labelled in Cheeseman's hand "Ruahine Mountains 1846") contains several pieces of the Ruahine plant showing the range of variation in pubescence described above; lvs are up to 9 × 7 mm., ovate to suborbicular with shallow acute serrations. Also in the folder are luxuriant pieces of var. hookeriana with conspicuously hairy lvs; plants of this kind have not been recorded from the Ruahine Range and Colenso's description specified glab. lvs so these specimens have probably been included in error.

As here interpreted the sp. includes a variable range of forms agreeing in compact habit, small coriac, lvs and subalpine habitat. The two vars represent the extremes of variation but are connected by a series of intermediates of uncertain status, each rather disjunct locality characterized by plants with a slightly different combination of minor characters:

(a) Plants from the Kaimanawa and Kaweka Ranges approach most closely to var. hookeriana but have lvs glab. below with short, crisped, non-glandular hairs at tip and round margin above. Laminae are narrow-ovate to broadly ovate-oblong or suborbicular, obtuse to subacute, crenations obtuse to subacute, sts shallow and numerous; infls densely glandular-hairy; stems bifariously pubescent in Kaimanawa specimens and uniformly in those from Kaweka Range.

(b) Collections seen from Maungapohatu are complex, the wide range of shape, size and texture of lvs in combination with pubescence differences suggesting hybridism with a form of P. catarractae. Plants with the general habit and lf-size of P. hookeriana have ovate to suborbicular laminae, crenate or ± sharply serrate, glab. or with short non-glandular or sts glandular hairs at tip or over whole upper surface. Infls are glandular-hairy in all parts or peduncles have only non-glandular hairs.

(c) In Mt. Hikurangi specimens the lvs appear to be completely glab., but sts resemble var. hookeriana rather than  var. olsenii in texture, incisures etc. Laminae are narrow-ovate to suborbicular, crenate to ± sharply serrate, sts very shallowly, obtuse to subacute; infls densely glandular-hairy; stems uniformly pubescent.