Hebe bishopiana (scrophulariaceae) — an endemic species of the Waitakere Ranges, West Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract

Hebe bishopiana (Petrie) Hatch, first described as the hybrid Veronica × bishopiana by Petrie in 1926, was transferred by Hatch in 1966 to the genus Hebe as H. × bishopiana. This paper supports the suggestion made by Hatch that this taxon may not be a hybrid; it is regarded here as a distinct and uncommon species endemic to the Waitakere Range west of Auckland City in the North Island, New Zealand. Hebe bishopiana is most similar to H. obtusata but is a larger shrub with widely branching stems, distinctive maroon-green foliage and stems, lanceolate-elliptic leaves, and longer racemes with only sparsely hairy calyces. The conservation status of Hebe bishopiana is discussed and the current IUCN ranking of “Vulnerable” supported. © 1996 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.