Veronica annulata (Petrie) Cheeseman

Spreading low whipcord shrub to 0.5 m tall. Stems ascending or erect, glabrous except for narrow line of eglandular hairs at the connate leaf bases, and sometimes hairs bifarious or uniform at base of internodes. Leaf bud indistinct, its outer leaves fully grown, diverging. Leaves opposite-decussate, connate in pairs and encircling stem, appressed but not usually covering the obscure node above, scale-like; lamina coriaceous, broadly deltoid to rectangular, 1–2 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, more or less glossy green or yellowish-green above and beneath; veins not evident, although leaf sometimes longitudinally wrinkled when dry; surfaces glabrous; margin conspicuously shortly ciliate to ciliolate, entire; apex obtuse to truncate; base broad; petiole absent. Inflorescence a terminal spike, 2.5–7.0 mm long; flowers crowded, 4–10, all bisexual; bracts opposite-decussate and connate, broadly deltoid to semi-circular; pedicels absent. Calyx lobes 4, seemingly 3 because anterior pair fused, obtuse, 1.5–2.0 mm long, unequal, densely shortly eglandular-ciliate to -ciliolate. Corolla 4.5–6.0 mm diameter; tube white, 1.5–2.0 mm long, ≤ calyx, hairy inside; lobes 4, white, erecto-patent to recurved, unequal, elliptic or obovate, 2–3 mm long, obtuse to rounded; nectar guides absent. Stamen filaments white, 2.6–3.5 mm long; anthers pink to purple. Style glabrous, 2.8–5.0 mm long. Capsules latiseptate, obtuse to rounded, glabrous, 1.8–2.7 mm long, 1.5–1.9 mm at widest point. Seeds obovoid or irregular, weakly flattened, smooth, pale brown, 0.9–1.3 mm long.

Superficially, V. annulata plants resemble V. hectorii plants, but the latter differ in having their nodal joints concealed although well marked, and in having their anterior calyx lobes free. Several other whipcord hebes are characterised by fused anterior calyx lobes: V. salicornioides plants have longer internodes and a smooth surface to the leafy stem; V. armstrongii plants have more sub-acute to acuminate leaf apices, leaves not so strongly appressed, and more slender, leafy branches; V. ochracea plants have thicker, leafy stems, ovate to deltoid leaves, more yellowish to bronze coloration, and paler anthers, as well as a higher chromosome number and distribution in the northern South Island.

Sparse scrub and rock outcrops. Recorded elevations range from 710 to 1350 m.

Flowers: October–January; fruits: December–March.

2n = 42 (see Bayly & Kellow 2006, as Hebe annulata).

Veronica annulata is classified in V. subg. Pseudoveronica sect. Hebe and informally in the “Flagriformes” group, also known as “whipcord hebes” (Albach & Meudt 2010; Bayly & Kellow 2006). It is most likely related to V. armstrongii, V. salicornioides, and V. ochracea, similar whipcord hebes that have 2n = 42, 84 and the anterior calyx lobes fused together.