Hebe (genus)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hebe

A Hebe showing leaf arrangement and inflorescences

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Scrophulariaceae
Genus:	Hebe

Species

See text

Hebe is a genus of plants native to New Zealand, Rapa in French Polynesia, the Falkland Islands, and South America. It includes about 90 species and is the largest plant genus in New Zealand. Apart from H. rapensis (endemic to Rapa), all species occur in New Zealand. This includes the two species, H. salicifolia and H. elliptica, that have distributions extending to South America. The genus is named after the Greek goddess of youth, Hebe. There are differing classifications for the genus and some botanists include Hebe, together with the related Australasian genera Chionohebe, Derwentia, Detzneria, Parahebe, Heliohebe, Leonohebe, in the larger genus Veronica.

Hebe has four perpendicular rows of leaves in opposite decussate pairs. The flowers are perfect, the corolla usually has four slightly unequal lobes, the flower has two stamens and a long style. Flowers are arranged in a spiked inflorescence. Identification of Hebe species is difficult, especially if they are not in flower. The plants range in size from dwarf shrubs to small trees up to 7 metres, and are distributed from coastal to alpine ecosystems. Large-leaved species are normally found on the coast, in lowland scrub and along forest margins. At higher altitudes smaller-leaved species grow, and in alpine areas there are whipcord species with leaves reduced to thick scales.

Hebes are grown in many gardens and public areas; they attract butterflies. Hebes cope with most soil types, and can be propagated easily from both seed and cuttings. Wild Hebe hybrids are uncommon; however, there are many cultivated hybrids, such as Hebe × franciscana.

[edit] Species

About 90 species, including:

Hebe acutiflora
Hebe albicans
Hebe amplexicaulis
Hebe armstrongii
Hebe barkeri
Hebe brachysiphon
Hebe breviracemosa
Hebe brevifolia
Hebe buchananii
Hebe canterburiensis
Hebe carnosula
Hebe chathamica
Hebe cheesmannii
Hebe ciliolata
Hebe colensoi
Hebe cupressoides
Hebe decumbens
Hebe dieffenbachii
Hebe diosmifolia

Hebe elliptica
Hebe epacridea
Hebe gibbsii
Hebe glaucophylla
Hebe gracillima
Hebe haastii
Hebe hectorii
Hebe hulkeana
Hebe lavaudiana
Hebe leiophylla
Hebe ligustrifolia
Hebe lycopodioides
Hebe macrantha
Hebe matthewsii
Hebe obtusata
Hebe ochracea
Hebe odora
Hebe parviflora
Hebe pauciramosa
Hebe pimeleoides

Hebe pinguifolia
Hebe propinqua
Hebe rakaiensis
Hebe raoulii
Hebe recurva
Hebe salicifolia
Hebe salicornioides
Hebe speciosa
Hebe stricta
Hebe subalpina
Hebe subsimilis
Hebe tetragona
Hebe tetrasticha
Hebe topiaria
Hebe traversii
Hebe trisepala
Hebe venustula
Hebe vernicosa

[edit] References and external links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Hebe buchananii

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Hebe pinguifolia

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Hebe speciosa

Eagle, Audrey (1982). Eagle's Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand: Second Series. Auckland: Collins. ISBN 0-00-216532-5.
Metcalf, Lawrie (2006). Hebes: A Guide to Species, Hybrids & Allied Genera. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-773-2.
Bayly, Michael; Alison Kellow (2006). An Illustrated Guide to New Zealand Hebes. Wellington: Te Papa Press. ISBN 978-0-909010-12-6.
Germplasm Resources Information Network: Hebe
The Hebe Society
Garnock-Jones, Phil; Albach, Dirk; Briggs, Barbara G. (2007). "Botanical names in Southern Hemisphere Veronica (Plantaginaceae): sect. Detzneria, sect. Hebe, and sect. Labiatoides". Taxon 56 (2): 571-582.