Art. XXIII.—Description of a New Species of Veronica (Linn.).

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 40, 1907, Page 288

Art. XXIII.—Description of a New Species of Veronica (Linn.). By D. Petrie, M.A. [Read before the Auckland Institute, 28th August, 1907.] Veronica Astoni, sp. nov. V. Veronicœ tetragonœ (Hook.) simillima, humilior (2–3 dcm. alta), gracilior, arctissime ramosa. Rami ultimi gracillimi, valde conferti perobscure aut nequaquam tetragoni. Folia arcte quadrifariam imbricata, paribus oppositis basi connatis, 1 ½ mm. longa, basi æque lata, subtriangulata, tumida, valde obtusa et apice rotundata, dorso haud carinata, superne late concava; juniora margine subciliata, pr v ctiora glaberrima. Flores pauci, parvi, in apicibus ramulorum subsessiles, circa 3 mm. lati, floribus V. tetragonœ (Hook.) simillimi, sed omni a parte minores. Fructus adhuc ignotus. Crescit in scopulosis jugis Montis Hector apud Tararua Montes in insula boreali Novæ-Zelandiæ. Floret in mensibus Januario et Februario. The present species of Veronica is closely allied to V. tetragona (Hook.), but differs constantly in a number of characters, as set forth above. Its habit of growth s very distinct, as it forms low dense rounded or flattened bushes, with branchlets so closely compacted as to be almost touching. The older stems are round, glabrous, and marked by very numerous shallow transverse scars formed by the leaf-traces. The top 2 in. give off great numbers of short branchlets, many of which branch again. Nearly all the slender branchlets fall away in age, so that the main branches show but little bifurcation.

I consider this a perfectly distinct species, as species go in this protean genus. It is not nearly as close to V. tetragona as V. quadrifaria (T. Kirk) is to V. tetrasticha (Hook. f.). Specimens were first sent to me by Mr. Aston, but as they showed neither flower nor fruit they could not be referred with certainty to the genus. In January of this year, during my short visit to Mount Hector, specimens were obtained in flower, and from these the description has been drawn up. In Cheeseman's Flora of New Zealand V. tetragona is recorded as occurring in the Tararuas, but he does not appear to have examined authentic specimens from that district. It is not unlikely that the present species has been confounded with Hooker's plant. The latter is abundant on Mount Hikurangi, at an altitude of 4,000 ft. and upwards, and it may quite well grow on the Tararuas also, but this must for the present remain uncertain.