Veronica sect. Hebe is a group of plants within the genus Veronica, native to New Zealand, Rapa in French Polynesia, the Falkland Islands and South America. It was formerly treated as the separate genus Hebe (). It includes about 90 species. Almost all species occur in New Zealand, apart from Veronica rapensis (endemic to Rapa) and Veronica salicifolia, found in South America. It is named after the Greek goddess of youth, Hebe. Informally, species in the section may be called shrubby veronicas or hebes.
Hebes are widely grown as ornamental plants (see Cultivation below).
Description
Species in Veronica sect. Hebe have four perpendicular rows of leaves in opposite decussate pairs. The flowers are perfect, the corolla usually has four slightly unequal lobes, the flower has two stamens and a long style. Flowers are arranged in a spiked inflorescence. Identification of species is difficult, especially if they are not in flower. The plants range in size from dwarf shrubs to small trees up to 7 metres (23 feet), and are distributed from coastal to alpine ecosystems. Large-leaved species are normally found on the coast, in lowland scrub and along forest margins. At higher altitudes smaller-leaved species grow, and in alpine areas there are whipcord species with leaves reduced to thick scales.
Taxonomy
There are differing classifications for the genus. The former genus Hebe, together with the related Australasian genera Chionohebe, Derwentia, Detzneria, Parahebe, Heliohebe and Leonohebe are now included in the larger genus Veronica (hence the common name shrubby veronicas).
Species
About 90–100 species were formerly placed in Hebe and have been moved to Veronica, including:
Hebe acutiflora → Veronica rivalis
Hebe albicans → Veronica albicans
Hebe amplexicaulis → Veronica amplexicaulis
Hebe arganthera → Veronica arganthera
Hebe armstrongii → Veronica armstrongii
Hebe barkeri → Veronica barkeri
Hebe bishopiana → Veronica bishopiana
Hebe brachysiphon → Veronica brachysiphon
Hebe breviracemosa → Veronica breviracemosa
Hebe brevifolia → Veronica punicea
Hebe buchananii → Veronica buchananii
Hebe canterburiensis → Veronica canterburiensis
Hebe carnosula → Veronica baylyi
Hebe chathamica → Veronica chathamica
Hebe cheesmannii → Veronica quadrifaria
Hebe ciliolata → Veronica ciliolata
Hebe colensoi → Veronica colensoi
Hebe cupressoides → Veronica cupressoides
Hebe decumbens → Veronica decumbens
Hebe dieffenbachii → Veronica dieffenbachii
Hebe diosmifolia → Veronica diosmifolia
Hebe elliptica → Veronica elliptica
Hebe epacridea → Veronica epacridea
Hebe gibbsii → Veronica gibbsii
Hebe glaucophylla → Veronica glaucophylla
Hebe gracillima → Veronica leiophylla
Hebe haastii → Veronica haastii
Hebe hectorii → Veronica hectorii
Hebe hulkeana → Veronica hulkeana
Hebe lavaudiana → Veronica lavaudiana
Hebe leiophylla → Veronica leiophylla
Hebe ligustrifolia → Veronica ligustrifolia
Hebe lycopodioides → Veronica lycopodioides
Hebe macrantha → Veronica macrantha
Hebe matthewsii → Veronica matthewsii
Hebe obtusata → Veronica obtusata
Hebe ochracea → Veronica ochracea
Hebe odora → Veronica odora
Hebe parviflora → Veronica parviflora
Hebe pauciramosa → Veronica pauciramosa
Hebe pauciramosa var. masoniae → Veronica masoniae
Hebe pimeleoides → Veronica pimeleoides
Hebe pinguifolia → Veronica pinguifolia
Hebe propinqua → Veronica propinqua
Hebe rakaiensis → Veronica rakaiensis
Hebe raoulii → Veronica raoulii
Hebe recurva was an unplaced name in Plants of the World Online, ; see Veronica recurva Hebe salicifolia → Veronica salicifolia Hebe salicornioides → Veronica salicornioides Hebe speciosa → Veronica speciosa Hebe stricta → Veronica stricta Hebe subalpina → Veronica subalpina Hebe subsimilis → Veronica tetragona subsp. subsimilis Hebe tetragona → Veronica tetragona Hebe tetrasticha → Veronica tetrasticha Hebe topiaria → Veronica topiaria Hebe traversii → Veronica traversii Hebe trisepala → Veronica diosmifolia Hebe venustula → Veronica venustula Hebe vernicosa → Veronica vernicosa