About Veronica lycopodioides Hook.fil.
Veronica lycopodioides Hook.fil. is a short, erect shrub. Its branches have leaves that grow closely pressed to the stem, giving the branches a scaly, green appearance. The leaves are triangular with pointed tips, and may have hairs along their margins that are visible when viewed with a hand lens. White flowers grow in clusters of 6 to 16, emerging from the tips of terminal branches. In field identification, the pointed leaf tips can be used to tell this species apart from Veronica poppelwellii. One recognized variety, Veronica lycopodioides var. patula, is smaller in almost all characteristics. This species grows on the South Island of New Zealand, most commonly east of the central mountain spine of the Southern Alps. It inhabits penalpine grassland and subalpine areas, and may also occur on Stewart Island. It is not currently classified as a threatened species.
