Veronica bishopiana explained

Veronica bishopiana, the Waitākere rock koromiko, is a flowering plant belonging to the family Plantaginaceae. It is native to West Auckland in New Zealand, and was first described by Donald Petrie in 1926.[1]

Description

Veronica bishopiana is a low spreading shrub that grows up to one metre tall. While similar to Veronica obtusata in appearance, Veronica bishopiana tends to be larger, and has distinctive maroon-green leaves. The shrub has white and mauve-coloured flowers, with the mauve colour often only evident in the youngest buds of the plant.

Taxonomy

It was named by Donald Petrie in 1926, first described as a hybrid, Veronica × bishopiana. It was transferred the genus Hebe in 1966 by ED Hatch,[2] but has since been reclassified again as a species of veronica.[3]

The species was named for Titirangi resident John Joseph Bishop, who first recognised Veronica bishopiana as a distinct species and cultivated it at his home, providing plant material for Petrie to study.[2]

Distribution

Veronica bishopiana is naturally distributed in the Waitakere Ecological District of the Waitākere Ranges of West Auckland.[2] It typically occurs on stream sides, igneous rock outcrops and shaded cliff faces.[2] Since 2007, specimens have also been found in the Tangihua Forest in Northland Region.[4] [5]

Notes and References

  1. Petrie (1926), In: Trans. & Proc. N. Z. Inst. 56: 15
  2. 0028-825X. 34. 2. 187–194. De Lange. PJ. Hebe bishopiana (Scrophulariaceae)—an endemic species of the Waitakere ranges, west Auckland, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany. 1996 . 10.1080/0028825X.1996.10410682. free. 1996NZJB...34..187D.
  3. 0028-825X. 38. 1. 1–23. Dawson. Murray I. Beuzenberg. Ernst J. Contributions to a chromosome atlas of the New Zealand flora—36. Miscellaneous families. New Zealand Journal of Botany. 2000 . 10.1080/0028825X.2000.9512671. 84383638. free. 2000NZJB...38....1D.
  4. Web site: Hebe bishopiana . . 30 November 2010 . 29 July 2022.
  5. Web site: Hebe bishopiana . . 29 October 2009 . 29 July 2022.