Flora of New Zealand Series

Veronica lycopodioides Hook. f. Handbk N.Z. Fl. 1864, 211.

Type locality: Cameron Valley, Lake Heron. Type: K, 115 Haast, 1864.

Erect, much-branched, rather rigid shrub up to c. 1 m. or more tall. Branchlets 2-3 mm. diam., strongly tetragonous, yellow-green; internodes c. 1 mm. long, entirely hidden; nodal joint well-marked. Lvs 1∙5-2-(2.5) mm. long, connate up to ⅓ length, broadly deltoid to semicircular, thick, strongly concavo-convex, rounded on back, appressed, apex obtuse or subacute, ribbed or striped with yellow for short distance from cartilaginous yellow margins, rather suddenly narrowed into thickened blunt yellow cusp or spine up to ⅓ total lf-length but sts much less. Spikes 3-12-fld. Bracts 2-3 mm. long, ovate-rhomboid, cuspidate, strongly ribbed, yellowish. Calyx 2-3 mm. long, anterior lobes oblong-ovate, subacute, ribbed, free for c. ⅔ length. Corolla-tube = or > calyx. Capsule 3-4 × 2 mm., oval, subacute, much > calyx.

DIST.: S. Common in subalpine scrub and tussock east of divide in Marlborough and Canterbury, extending to vicinity of Lake Wakatipu.

A polymorphic sp. with considerable unresolved variation in shape of lvs, size and distinctness of cusp and diameter of branchlets. In some of the forms with stout branchlets 3 mm. diam. which occur particularly in the northern part of the range the lvs are thickly convex and closely appressed with broad rounded apex and very small cusp. In extreme forms (e.g. BD 58142, Seaward Kaikoura Range, R. Mason, 5.4.47) the cusp of the lvs is reduced to a small acute tip. Plants of this kind have been recorded as H. hectori and, apart from the slight ribbing, have a close superficial resemblance to this sp. H. lycopodioides has been recorded from the Garvie Mts but specimens seen from there have very strongly spine-tipped lvs with no visible ribbing; they may correspond to H. subulata Simpson.