Flora of New Zealand Series

Veronica diosmifolia R. Cunn. ex A. Cunn. in Bot. Mag. 63, 1836, sub t. 3461.

Original localities: Dense woods near the source of the Wycaddy [Waikare] River, cataracts of the Kerikeri River and other North Id places. Type: K, R. Cunningham.

Much-branched shrub 1-6 m. tall. Branchlets rather slender, hairy-pubescent, length of internodes c. 2-4 × diam. Lvs suberect to spreading, sts almost distichous, 1-3 cm. × 3-6 mm., narrow-lanceolate to obovate-oblong, subcoriac.; lf-bud with long narrow sinus; lamina glab., narrowly acute, margins slightly thickened, us. with 1 to several pairs of narrow incisions. Infls lateral, compound, branches often as many as 5-6 all of first order, several adjacent infls together forming a flat-topped corymbose head projecting above lvs; peduncle us. < lvs, finely hairy pubescent. Pedicels 2-5 mm. long, much > narrow-ovate ciliolate bracts. Calyx-lobes c. 1·5 mm. long, ± ovate, obtuse, ciliolate, anterior lobes us. fused for most of their length. Corolla white or bluish, tube 2-2.5 mm. long, lobes 3-4 mm. long, ovate, subacute. Capsule erect, 4-5 × 2.5-3 mm., acute, glab., c. 3 × calyx.

DIST.: N. From North Kaipara Head and Whangarei northwards.

There are several R. Cunningham specimens in K, probably representing gatherings from more than one place in Bay of Islands and possibly also from South Hokianga Head, and the description is rather broad, including "Frutex gracilis, virgatus, 3-12 pedalis . . . foliis . . . integerrimis serrulatisve". Choice of type is left open until it can be firmly correlated with the naming of several recognizable but still imperfectly understood local forms.

Veronica trisepala Col. in T.N.Z.I. 15, 1883, 324 from "the north end of Te Kaweka mountain range, near Napier" was described as a small shrub "2-3 feet high, with habit of V. buxifolia"; this "elegant shrubby species" was stated to be allied to "V. diosmaefolia, a tall slender northern species of widely different habit". Specimens distributed by Colenso are in K and in W in both Petrie and Kirk herbaria, the lectotype being W 5352, Kaweka Range, A. Hamilton, Herb. Petrie. The specimens, with fl. and young capsules, certainly belong to H. diosmifolia but it has not been possible to attribute them surely to either of the two small-statured forms described above. Hawke's Bay is an unlikely habitat for H. diosmifolia and the sp. has not been again recorded from that district. Colenso gives details of colour and habit, as if from a growing plant; if a transplant to a garden were involved confusion might have occurred.

V. diosmaefolia var. trisepala (Col.) Kirk in T.N.Z.I. 28, 1896, 525 included the Hawke's Bay specimens and those from Bay of Islands and Hokianga with lvs 12-25 mm. long, linear-oblong, with 3-4 incisions on each side, not keeled; sepals 3, capsules elliptic-ovate. It was contrasted with "V. diosmaefolia" from North Cape to Hokianga and Whangarei, with lvs 12-16 mm. long, elliptic-oblong, entire, keeled; sepals 4, capsule oblong-lanceolate. Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1906, 512) says "the form with the calyx 4-partite is rare in the wild state"; no such calyces have been seen in herbaria or in recent collections.

Var. vernalis Carse in T.N.Z.I. 60, 1929, 306. Type locality: "On the banks of Mangere Creek, Whangarei". Type: CM, H. Carse, 22/10/98 "Shrub 1 m. tall". This was described as a small shrub, 6-15 dm. tall, with close-set branches and lvs 5-10 × 2-4 mm. flowering in September-October, and it was recorded from Waipoua Forest and Bay of Islands as well as from Whangarei. The early-flowering Whangarei form sts has bigger lvs but they are characteristically crowded, dark-green, often broadest above the middle, with the margins rather obviously incised; corolla is often lavender, and the capsule c. 5 × 3 mm., parallel-sided.

Carse contrasted his var. with what he regarded as the "type form" of open virgate habit with larger lvs and flowering period from December to January, noted from North Cape district to Bay of Islands. Amongst later flowering plants two forms have been recognized and these behave differently in cultivation. There is considerable range in branchlet-pubescence and fl.-colour and pressed specimens are sts hard to place. (a) Erect-growing, ± fastigiate, occ. 6 m. tall; lvs yellow-green, 2-2.5- (3) cm. × 4 mm., margins obscurely incised; corolla white, capsule broad-ovate, c. 4 × 3 mm.; well known from Doubtless Bay but probably occurring from Bay of Islands northwards. Cheeseman has annotated a specimen from Cape Reinga "20 ft. tall, trunk 5 in. diam." (b) Openly-branched, to 2 m. tall where sheltered, often much less; lvs light green, 7-15 × 3·5-4·5 mm., margins almost or quite entire; corolla white or very faintly coloured, capsule broad-ovate, c. 4 × 2.5 mm.; the common form about Houhora but probably extending at least to north and west. Extreme reduction is seen in W 5350 "on rocky shore, Rangaunu Harb., Mangonui Coy, Jan. 1915, H. Carse. A curious form with leaves similar to those of V. vernicosa but many of them incised as in V. diosmoefolia. The calyx appears to be 3-partite"; lvs are 7-11 × 3·5-4·5 mm., broadly elliptic, almost entire, and the one infl. is very small.