- Source: Veronica sect. Hebe
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:
Cultivation
Hebes are valued in gardens in temperate climates as evergreen shrubs with decorative (sometimes variegated) leaves. The flowers, in shades of blue, purple, pink or white, appear throughout summer and autumn. Their ability to withstand salt-laden winds makes them especially suited to coastal areas, for instance the South West of England, where they are often grown as hedges. Prostrate varieties can be used as groundcover.
Hebes cope with most soil types, and can be propagated easily from both seed and cuttings. Wild hybrids in section Hebe are uncommon; however, there are many cultivated hybrids, such as Veronica × franciscana.
The Hebe Society, formed in 1985 under the auspices of the British Royal Horticultural Society, promotes the cultivation and conservation of hebes and other New Zealand native plants.
= AGM cultivars
=The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:
Gallery
References
External links
Media related to Hebe at Wikimedia Commons
Eagle, Audrey (1982). Eagle's Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand: Second Series. Auckland: Collins. ISBN 0-00-216532-5.
Metcalf, Lawrie (2006). Hebes: A Guide to Species, Hybrids & Allied Genera. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-773-2.
Bayly, Michael; Alison Kellow (2006). An Illustrated Guide to New Zealand Hebes. Wellington: Te Papa Press. ISBN 978-0-909010-12-6.
Germplasm Resources Information Network: Hebe
The Hebe Society
Garnock-Jones, Phil; Albach, Dirk; Briggs, Barbara G. (2007). "Botanical names in Southern Hemisphere Veronica (Plantaginaceae): sect. Detzneria, sect. Hebe, and sect. Labiatoides". Taxon. 56 (2): 571–582. doi:10.1002/tax.562028.
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- Veronica sect. Hebe
- Veronica (plant)
- Hebe
- Veronica salicifolia
- Veronica speciosa
- Veronica stricta
- Veronica pinguifolia
- Veronica pubescens
- Veronica brachysiphon
- Veronica odora
