Phil Bendle Collection:Hebe bishopiana

Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Hebe
Species: H. bishopiana
Binomial name: Hebe bishopiana
Synonyms: Veronica xbishopiana, Hebe xbishopiana
Common Name: Waitakere Rock Koromiko

Hebe bishopiana is a low scrambling evergreen hebe that interweaves itself with other plants around it. It grows to about 40 cm high. It is known only from the Waitakere Ranges, west of Auckland city, where it occurs from the upper Anawhata and Waitakere Stream south to Destruction Gully. Its habits are stream sides, gorges, damp or partially shaded rock outcrops, often in or around seepages on cliff faces, or protruding from Astelia banksii. This is the only vascular plant endemic to the Waitakere Ranges.
The dark green lance-shaped leaves are 4–8 cm long and 0.6–1 15–25 mm wide. Long pale lavender-white flower (open pale lilac and fade to white) are carried from March to August.

Photographed at Otari Native Botanic Garden, Wellington [1]

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