Veronica calycina
Biostatus
Native
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, SO
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Simplified description
A prostrate herb up to 150 mm high. The stem and underside of the leaves are mildly hairy, leaves grow in opposite formation. Leaf margins are toothed with those closest to stem being more prominent, veins are obvious and sunken on upper surface. The light blue flowers form at the end of the stems or lateral stems, the inflorescence may have up to 8 blooms.
Flower colours
White, Blue
Detailed description
See FloraNZ for details.
Distribution
Indigenous. New Zealand: North Island (Bay of Plenty, Orokawa Bay). Common in Australia.
Habitat
Open coastal forest amongst grasses and boulders.
Threats
Unknown. First collected from New Zealand in 1906 but those gatherings were misidentified as V. plebeia, it was subsequently rediscovered at the same location in 2010. However, a full survey for the species was not then made, and the identity of the gathering (and those made in 1906) was only confirmed in 2013. Whilst threats to V. calycina are unknown, it was listed by the Vascular Plant assessment panel as ‘Threatened – Nationally Critical’ because of the very small population that would be highly susceptible to any adverse pressures.
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October-February.
Fruiting
November-February.
Other information
Etymology
veronica: Named after Saint Veronica, who gave Jesus her veil to wipe his brow as he carried the cross through Jerusalem, perhaps because the common name of this plant is ‘speedwell’. The name Veronica is often believed to derive from the Latin vera ‘truth’ and iconica ‘image’, but it is actually derived from the Macedonian name Berenice which means ‘bearer of victory’.
calycina: From the Greek kalux (in Latin calyx) ‘case of a bud’ or ‘husk’, meaning having a persistent or well developed calyx
Previous conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | Threatened – Nationally Critical | Qualifiers: SO