380 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



Veronica lycopodioides (The Lycopodium-like 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 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. 372. 

 Fl. Dec. -Mar. 



Veronica tetrasticha, Veronica Hectori, Veronica salicornioides, and Veronica 

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

 imbricated leaves. 



Veronica epacridea (The Epacris-like Veronica). 



A small, rigid shrub. Leaves closely imbricate, 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 seedling ; " The whole plant is very 

 succulent and soft. Such structure is an admirable provision 

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

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

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

 from 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.- in. long, broad, leathery. Flower-spikes \ in. long, in corymbs 1 in. -2 in. 

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

 Fl. Nov. 



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

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

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



*Trans. XXXI. p. 381. 

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



