Trees and Shrubs Online logo

Hebe stricta (Benth.) L. B. Moore

TSO logo

Sponsor this page

For information about how you could sponsor this page, see How You Can Help

Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Hebe stricta' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/hebe/hebe-stricta/). Accessed 2025-01-12.

Genus

Synonyms

  • Veronica stricta Benth., H. salicifolia var. stricta (Benth.) Ckn. & Allan
  • V. salicifolia var. stricta (Benth.) Hook. f.

Glossary

style
Generally an elongated structure arising from the ovary bearing the stigma at its tip.
acuminate
Narrowing gradually to a point.
acute
Sharply pointed.
bud
Immature shoot protected by scales that develops into leaves and/or flowers.
calyx
(pl. calyces) Outer whorl of the perianth. Composed of several sepals.
ciliate
Fringed with long hairs.
corolla
The inner whorl of the perianth. Composed of free or united petals often showy.
entire
With an unbroken margin.
glabrous
Lacking hairs smooth. glabrescent Becoming hairless.
lanceolate
Lance-shaped; broadest in middle tapering to point.
linear
Strap-shaped.
midrib
midveinCentral and principal vein in a leaf.
ovary
Lowest part of the carpel containing the ovules; later developing into the fruit.
simple
(of a leaf) Unlobed or undivided.
sinus
Recess between two lobes or teeth on leaf margin.
variety
(var.) Taxonomic rank (varietas) grouping variants of a species with relatively minor differentiation in a few characters but occurring as recognisable populations. Often loosely used for rare minor variants more usefully ranked as forms.

References

There are no active references in this article.

Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Hebe stricta' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/hebe/hebe-stricta/). Accessed 2025-01-12.

Hebe stricta

White flowers with a slender tube and pubescent calyx on Hebe stricta (Botanische Garten der Universität Tübingen, Germany – 11 July 2022). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

A shrub of variable habit growing to 10 ft high in the wild, occasionally taller; leaf-bud without sinus; stems glabrous or finely downy. Leaves linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, 2 to 5 in. long, 1⁄3 to 3⁄4 in. wide, tapered to an acute or acuminate tip, entire or with a few remote small teeth, not glossy, glabrous except for fine down along the margins and midrib. Flowers white or pale lilac in simple racemes longer than the leaves; bracts and calyx-lobes downy all over their surface; corolla about 3⁄16 in. long, the tube slender, longer than the calyx, lobes rounded, shorter than the tube. Style and top of ovary downy. Capsules about twice as long as calyx.

A native of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of H. salicifolia as understood until recently, but differs in the absence of a leaf-bud sinus and in the longer, more slender corolla-tubes. Also, in the typical variety described above the bracts and calyx-lobes are downy all over (only ciliate in H. salicifolia), but this distinction does not hold good for the varieties described below, both of which have probably been introduced:

Hebe stricta

Flowering specimen and foliage on Hebe stricta from wildsource, at the Botanische Garten der Universität Tübingen, Germany (11 July 2022). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Hebe stricta

Lanceolate leaves on Hebe stricta (Botanische Garten der Universität Tübingen, Germany – 11 July 2022). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Hebe stricta

Lamina margin with tiny teeth on Hebe stricta (Botanische Garten der Universität Tübingen, Germany – 11 July 2022). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

Hebe stricta

Minute pubescence on Hebe stricta (Botanische Garten der Universität Tübingen, Germany – 11 July 2022). Image © Jan De Langhe - Arboretum Wespelaar.

var. atkinsonii (Ckn.) L. B. Moore

Synonyms
V. salicifolia var. atkinsonii Ckn

A shrub up to 6 ft or slightly more high. Leaves narrow-elliptic or linear-lanceo­late, 2 to 4 in. long, acute at the apex, not glossy. Bracts and calyx-lobes downy only on the margins. According to Cockayne this variety rapidly colonises cuttings in the vicinity of Wellington, and also occurs in the northern part of South Island.

var. egmontiana L. B. Moore

Synonyms
H. salicifolia var. egmontiana (Ckn.) Ckn. & Allan
nom. inedit

A compact shrub to 10 ft high with linear-lanceolate leaves 2{1/4} to 2{3/4} in. long and about {1/3} in. wide, tapered to an acute point. According to Cockayne it forms pure stands on Mt Egmont at about 3,500 ft. In this and the preceding variety the bracts and calyx-lobes are downy only on the margins and the capsule is glabrous.H. macroura (Benth.) Ckn. & Allan Veronica macroura Benth.; H. stricta var. macroura (Benth.) L. B. Moore – A small densely branched shrub. Leaves obovate-oblong to oblanceolate, 1 to 3 in. long, {1/2} to 1{1/4} in. wide, glabrous except for the sometimes downy margins. Leaf-bud without sinus. Flowers white or tinged with blue, densely arranged in racemes 2 to 4 in. long. Calyxlobes oblong, ciliate and sometimes downy on the surface. Capsules pendulous, i.e., pointing towards the base of the inflorescence. Native of the North Island of New Zealand. It is distinguished from H. stricta by the relatively shorter and broader leaves, but hybrids between the two are said to occur in the wild. The foliage and the absence of a leaf-bud sinus distinguish it from H. salicifolia.Plants cultivated in Britain under the name H. cookiana seem to belong to H. macroura. They probably came here originally as V. macroura var. cookiana (Col.) Cheesem. and agree with that variety in having racemes about 6 in. long. They are said to be fairly hardy. The habit is low and spreading and the leaves are irregularly waved and puckered, 1{7/8} to 2{1/2} in. long, {3/4} to 1{1/4} in. wide, ciliate. Bracts and calyx-lobes downy all over the surface.

Contact the editors at