User:Dracophyllum/Veronica bishopiana

Veronica bishopiana, commonly known as Waitakere Rock Koromiko, is a threatened flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. Endemic to New Zealand, it is found only in the Waitākere Ranges, a mountain range west of Auckland. It was formerly known as the hybrid Veronica ﻿﻿﻿﻿×bishopiana, as described by Donald Petrie in 1926, before Peter de Lange gave it species status as Hebe bishopiana in 1996. It was transferred to the genus Veronica in 2010, following scientific consensus among botanists.

V. bishopiana forms 2 by 1 m shrubs and has black stems with 4 by 13 cm elliptic-shaped leaves. Flowering begins between March and August, producing purple-white flowers which form 7 cm long inflorescences. Once pollinated, these become small brown seeds which are dispersed by the wind.

Description
Veronica bishopiana forms up to one metre tall and two metre long shrubs. It has

Etymology
The specific epithet bishopiana is after John J. Bishop, an Aucklander who first cultivated and recognised the distinctiveness of the plant, before bringing it to the attention of Donald Petrie.