Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Hebe
Species: H. townsonii
Synonyms: Veronica townsonii, Veronica macrocarpa var. crassifolia
Binomial name: Hebe townsonii
Hebe townsonii forms an erect, evergreen shrub, growing to 1 m or more. The light green leaves are narrow, spear-shaped, 4–7 cm long. In spring it develops white sprays of flowers with slight pale lilac shading.
This is one of the easiest hebes to identify, due to the two lines of small pits (domatia) on the underside of the leaves.
In the wild Hebe townsonii grows on limestone rocks on Mount Messenger, Taranaki, North Island, and near Westport, on the west coast of the South Island, New Zealand.
The flowers area very pale lilac, fading to white during summer. Photographed early October
Flowers visited by ants.
The upper surface of a leaf.
This is one of the easiest hebes to identify, due to the two lines of small pits (domatia) on the underside of the leaves. See photo of the underside of a leaf.
