Platk 152.— veronica GIBBSII. 



Family SCROPHULARIACEiE. j [Genus VERONICA, Linn. 



Veronica Gibbsii, T. Kirk in Tran.^. .V.Z. In.st. xxviii (1896). 524 : Cher.few. Man. A'.Z. 

 Fl. 524. 



Veronica Gibbsii is named in honour of Mr. F. G. Gibb«, M.A., of Nelson, who 

 for many years has been a diligent and painstaking investigator of the flora of the 

 Nelson Provincial District, and who has made several important discoveries, as 

 Ligusticum diversifolium, Celmisia Gibbsii. Raoulia Gibbsii, Gentiana vernicosa, 

 &c. He has also collected much fresh information bearing upon the distribution 

 of the species constituting the Nelson flora. 



V. Gibbsii was originally discovered on Mount Rintoul and Ben Nevis, two 

 of the chief peaks of the Dun Mountain Range, and situated from twenty to thirty 

 miles from Nelson in a southerly direction. Probably it exists on other peaks on 

 the same range, but I have no proof to that effect. It may here be remarked that 

 the Dun Mountain Range has in some respects a distinct and curious vegetation, 

 possibly associated with its peculiar geological structure. In addition to Veronica 

 Gibbsii, at least three other plants are apparently confined to it — Raoulia Gibbsii, 

 Myosotis Monroi, and Pimelea Suteri. 



V. Gibbsii is a sparingly branched shrub from 9 in. to 18 in. high, usually found 

 in rocky places. The leaves are close-set, spreading, ovate or ovate-oblong in 

 shape, coriaceous, usually glaucous, but often tinged with purplish-red, glabrous 

 except the margins, which are fringed with long soft white hairs. The flowers are 

 white, and are arranged in spikes near the tips of the branches. The calyx- 

 segments are ovate-lanceolate, acute, and the margins are villous. The capsule 

 is narrow-ovoid, acute, compressed, about twice as long as the calyx. 



V. Gibbsii is a distinct species, which cannot be confused with any other. Its 

 nearest ally is probably V. carnosula, from which, however, it is easily distinguished 

 by the less concave and more acute leaves, and especially by their conspicuously 

 villous margins. Its bracts, too, are more acuminate, and the calyx-segments 

 are narrower and more acute. The villous margins of the leaves constitute 

 a very remarkable character, and one which cannot be matched among the rest 

 of the eighty-five species of the genus found in New Zealand. 



Plate 152. Veronica Gibbsii, drawn from specimens collected by Mr. F. G. Gibbs on Ben Nevis, 

 Nelson, at an altitude of 4,000 ft. Fig. 1, flower, showing bract at the base (x5); 2, section of 

 calyx, showing ovary and style { x 5) ; 3. corolla ( x 5) ; 1. the same laid open ( x 5) ; 5. group of 

 ripe capsules (x 5). 



