Veronica derwentiana Andrews APNI* Synonyms: Derwentia derwentiana (Andrews) B.G.Briggs & Ehrend. APNI*
Description: Woody herb to c. 140 cm high; stems several or many from a large woody rootstock, mostly erect and unbranched below inflorescence, glabrous or with short, fine curved or twisted hairs in longitudinal bands or rarely over whole surface; each stem persisting for 1 or 2 seasons.
Leaves lanceolate to ovate, mostly 5–20 cm long, 12–45 mm wide, apex acute or acuminate, base cuneate to truncate or cordate, margins with 30–80 pairs of apiculate teeth; sessile or with short broad petiole.
Racemes mostly 8–25 cm long, 40–100-flowered. Calyx lobes 2–5 mm long and 0.7–1 mm wide in fruit, glabrous or with scattered short glandular hairs. Corolla 5–9 mm long, white or pale lilac or pale blue.
Capsule narrow- to broad-obovate, 2.8–5.5 mm long, 2.5–4.5 mm wide, apex acute or truncate or emarginate, glabrous or with short hairs on upper margin, slightly glossy.
Flowering: mostly summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in a variety of communities from eucalypt forest to alpine herbfields.
NSW subdivisions: CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, NWS, CWS, SWS
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. S.A.
Text by B. G. Briggs & R. O. Makinson Taxon concept:
| Key to the subspecies | |
1 | Base of style and summit of ovary pilose or rarely glabrous, capsule subacute or truncate or slightly emarginate; leaves paler on lower surface but not pruinose, teeth mostly uniform or alternating large and small | 2 |
| Base of style and summit of ovary glabrous, capsule distinctly emarginate; leaves pruinose on lower surface. Leaves narrow-ovate to narrow-lanceolate, teeth coarse. Pedicels 5–10 mm in fruit | subsp. subglauca |
2 | Leaves lanceolate to narrow-lanceolate, mostly 15–25 mm wide with length 4–11 times breadth, base cuneate or truncate; pedicels mostly 5–7 mm long in fruit | subsp. derwentiana |
| Leaves ovate to lanceolate, mostly 30–40 mm wide with length 1.6–3.5 times breadth, base cordate or sometimes truncate; pedicels mostly 2–4 mm long in fruit Back to 1 | subsp. maideniana |
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