Parahebe

Parahebe catarractae, copyright Kurt Stüber.

Belongs within: Veroniceae.

Parahebe is a genus of mostly prostrate to decumbent subshrubs found in Australasia. They bear a laterally compressed, more or less two-lobed capsule with a septum across the narrowest diameter (Allan 1961).

Characters (from Allan 1961): Prostrate to decumbent subshrubs with woody or semiwoody stems rooting in lower parts, rarely herbaceous. Leaves opposite, mostly crenate or toothed, sessile or shortly petioled. Flowers in axillary racemes which may be long or greatly reduced, sometimes to solitary bibracteate flower. Calyx deeply and evenly four-lobed, a small fifth lobe occasionally present. Corolla variable in size and shape, tube very short to long, lobes 4 or 5, unequal. Stamens 2, anthers held above tube. Style long, stigma capitate. Capsule laterally compressed with septum across narrowest diameter, emarginate and more or less two-lobed, dehiscing loculicidally and usually less deeply septicidally, sometimes separating to base into four valves; seeds usually many, more or less flattened, smooth.

Parahebe Oliver 1944 A61
    |--*P. catarractae (Forster) Oliver 1944 A61 (see below for synonymy)
    |--P. × bidwillii (Hook.) Oliver 1944 [=Veronica bidwillii Hook. 1852; P. decora × P. lyallii] A61
    |--P. birleyi (Brown) Oliver 1944 [=Veronica birleyi Brown 1911; incl. V. grahamii Petrie 1913] A61
    |--P. canescens Oliver 1944 [=Veronica canescens Kirk 1877 non Schrad. 1803; incl. V. lilliputiana Stearn 1951] A61
    |--P. cheesemanii (Benth.) Oliver 1944 [=Veronica cheesemanii Benth. 1881] A61
    |--P. decora Ashwin in Allan 1961 A61
    |--P. hookeriana (Walp.) Oliver 1944 (see below for synonymy) A61
    |    |--P. h. var. hookeriana [incl. Veronica compacta Colenso 1888] A61
    |    `--P. h. var. olsenii (Colenso) Ashwin in Allan 1961 (see below for synonymy) A61
    |--P. linifolia (Hooker) Oliver 1944 [=Veronica linifolia Hooker 1864, Hebe linifolia (Hooker) Allan 1939] A61
    |--P. lyallii (Hooker) Oliver 1944 (see below for synonymy) A61
    |--P. perfoliata NC91
    |--P. plano-petiolata (Simpson & Thomson) Oliver 1944 (see below for synonymy) A61
    |    |--P. p. var. plano-petiolata A61
    |    `--P. p. var. laxa (Oliver) Ashwin in Allan 1961 (see below for synonymy) A61
    |--P. spathulata (Benth.) Oliver 1944 (see below for synonymy) A61
    `--P. trifida Oliver 1944 [=Veronica trifida Petrie 1924 non Gilib. 1785] A61

*Parahebe catarractae (Forster) Oliver 1944 A61 [=Veronica catarractae Forster 1786 A61; incl. V. lanceolata var. angustifolia Benth. in DC. 1846 nec V. angustifolia Fisch. & Link 1821 nec Richard 1832 A61, V. diffusa Hooker 1844 non Raf. 1836 A61, Parahebe diffusa (Hooker) Oliver 1944 A61, V. catarractae var. diffusa Hooker 1864 A61, V. irrigans Kirk 1870 A61, V. lanceolata Benth. in DC. 1846 A61, V. catarractae var. lanceolata C06, V. catarractae var. minor Hooker 1854 A61]

Parahebe hookeriana (Walp.) Oliver 1944 [=Veronica hookeriana Walp. 1844-1845, Hebe hookeriana (Walp.) Allan 1939; incl. V. nivalis Benth. in DC. 1846, V. nivea Hooker 1844 non Lindl. 1842] A61

Parahebe hookeriana var. olsenii (Colenso) Ashwin in Allan 1961 [=Veronica olsenii Colenso 1896, Parahebe olsenii (Colenso) Oliver 1944] A61

Parahebe lyallii (Hooker) Oliver 1944 [=Veronica lyallii Hooker 1854, Hebe lyallii (Hooker) Allan 1939; incl. V. lyallii var. angustata Petrie 1917, V. lyallii var. suberecta Cheeseman 1906] A61

Parahebe plano-petiolata (Simpson & Thomson) Oliver 1944 [=Veronica plano-petiolata Simpson & Thomson 1942; incl. V. muelleri Buchan. 1882 non Vest ex Schrank 1824, Parahebe muelleri (Buchan.) Oliver 1944] A61

Parahebe plano-petiolata var. laxa (Oliver) Ashwin in Allan 1961 [=Veronica laxa Simpson & Thomson 1942 non Benth. 1835, P. laxa (Simpson & Thomson) Oliver 1944] A61

Parahebe spathulata (Benth.) Oliver 1944 [=Veronica spathulata Benth. in DC. 1846; incl. V. subrosulata Colenso 1899, V. vulcanica Colenso 1888] A61

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[A61] Allan, H. H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand vol. 1. Indigenous Tracheophyta: Psilopsida, Lycopsida, Filicopsida, Gymnospermae, Dicotyledones. R. E. Owen, Government Printer: Wellington (New Zealand).

[C06] Cheeseman, T. F. 1906. Manual of the New Zealand Flora. John Mackay, Government Printer: Wellington.

[NC91] Nielsen, E. S., & I. F. B. Common. 1991. Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2^nd ed. vol. 2 pp. 817–915. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).

Last updated: 24 March 2021.