New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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A taxonomic revision of the Hebe parviflora complex (Scrophulariaceae), based on morphology and flavonoid chemistry

MICHAEL J. BAYLY

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
P.O. Box 467
Wellington, New Zealand

PHIL J. GARNOCK-JONES

School of Biological Sciences
Victoria University of Wellington
P.O. Box 600
Wellington, New Zealand

KEVIN A. MITCHELL
KENNETH R. MARKHAM

Industrial Research Limited
P.O. Box 31 310
Lower Hutt, New Zealand

PATRICK J. BROWNSEY^*

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
P.O. Box 467
Wellington, New Zealand
email: patb@tepapa.govt.nz

Abstract  Two entities have long been recognised at the rank of either species or variety in the New Zealand endemic Hebe parviflora complex but, because one of the critical type specimens had not previously been examined by New Zealand botanists, there has been uncertainty regarding the correct application of names. The two entities can be distinguished on characters of habit, leaves, flowers, leaf flavonoids, and chromosome number, and are accepted here at species rank. H. parviflora is the correct name for the tetraploid entity previously known as H. parviflora var. arborea, and H. stenophylla is the diploid entity previously known as H. parviflora var. angustifolia (the autonym var. parviflora has not been used in any recent treatments). H. stenophylla has several distinct geographic races and new names are provided at varietal rank for two of these: var. hesperia occurs in limestone areas near the north-west coast of the South Island, between Cape Farewell and the Heaphy River; var. oliveri occurs on exposed bluffs on Stephens Island in Cook Strait. Circumscription of these varieties leaves var. stenophylla comprising a range of morphological forms whose relationships require further elucidation. A comparative study of leaf flavonoids identifies flavonoid characters that clearly distinguish H. parviflora and H. stenophylla, and the profiles of these species are compared with those of the related species H. strictissima and H. traversii. Historical factors affecting the distribution of H. parviflora and H. stenophylla are discussed, and descriptions, distribution maps, and illustrations of diagnostic morphological characters are provided for all taxa.

Keywords  Hebe; H. parviflora; H. stenophylla; taxonomy; flavonoid; plant biogeography; New Zealand flora

^*Author for correspondence.
B99016
Received 7 April 1999; accepted 28 September 1999

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (3966K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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