380 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



Veronica lycopodioides {The Lycoiyodmm-Uke Veronica). 



A large, erect shrub. Branches 4-angled, leaves closely imbricate, ^ in. 

 long. Flowers in dense heads at the tips of the branches, white. Corolla J in across. 

 South Island : Southern Alps, Macaulay River, Wairau Gorge, Lindis 

 Pass, Otago. This plant is one of the whip-cord veronicas referred to on p. 37'2. 

 Fl. Dec-Mar. 



Veronica tetrasticha, Veronica Hectori, Veronica salicornioides, and Vero7iica 

 cupressoides belong also to this class of veronicas, having the same closely 

 imbricated leaves. 



Veronica epacridea {The Eimcris-like Veronica). 



A small, rigid shrub. Leaves closely inibricate, recurved, rendering the 

 branches 4-angled in appearance. Flowers without stalks, in pairs among the 

 upper leaves, forming an oblong head. South Island : Tarndale, Southern Alps, 

 Mt. Darwin, Wai-au-ua Valley, etc. 



This species belongs to the rock-growing group of veronicas. 



Dr. Cockayne says of the seedHng : "The whole plant is very 



succulent and soft. Such structure is an admirable provision 



against drought, growing as it does on solid rock or shingie- 



slips, for it cannot put down a long root in search of water, as 



the adult plant can ; nor is there so much danger of its drying 



up with excessive transpiration, since, being of very low 



stature, the large stones of the shingle-slips, or the fissures of 



the rock, where alone the seed can germinate, will protect it 



froiTi drying winds. The same remark would apply to 



Veronica tetrasticha, a companion plant. It is curious that 



this soft, succulent form of leaf is the permanent form of 



Veronica Haastii, a closely allied plant, restricted to regions 



subject to the western rainfall."* 



Veronica Lavaudiana (Lavaud's Veronica). 



A small, stout herb. Stem at first prostrate ; branches ascending. Leaves 

 ^ in. -fin. long, broad, leathery. Flower-spikes Jin. long, in corymbs 1 in. -2 in. 

 broad. Corolla Jin. across, white or purple. South Island : Banks Peninsula. 



Fl. Nov. 



This beautiful little Veronica was one of Baoul's discoveries. 

 He named it after Lavaud.t It belongs to the third section 

 of veronicas, i.e., those with toothed and rather fleshy 



*Trans. XXXI., p. 381. 

 1 Commodore of the Nanto-Bordelaise expedition for settling the South Island. 



