About Zieria veronicea (F.Muell.) Benth.
Zieria veronicea (F.Muell.) Benth. is a lemon-scented shrub that grows between 15 and 60 cm (6 and 20 in) in height. Most parts of the plant are densely covered in star-like hairs that give its surfaces a velvety texture. Unlike most other zierias, this species grows simple leaves instead of the clover-like leaves common to the genus. Its leaves are 5 to 18 mm (0.2 to 0.7 in) long and 1 to 5.5 mm (0.04 to 0.2 in) wide, with a light green upper surface and a greyish-green lower surface. The leaf edges are turned down or rolled under, and the leaf petiole is less than 1 mm (0.04 in) long. Flowers are arranged singly or in groups of three in leaf axils, with the whole flower cluster shorter than the leaves. This species has four narrow lance-shaped sepals that are 2 to 5.5 mm (0.08 to 0.2 in) long, pointed, and covered in dense velvety hairs. There are four petals that are pink, sometimes white, 2.3 to 7 mm (0.09 to 0.3 in) long, and overlap each other during the bud stage. Each flower also has four stamens. Zieria veronicea is most common in Victoria, where it grows in sandy mallee and mallee heath in the western part of the state and near the Gippsland Lakes. It also occurs in south-eastern South Australia and eastern Tasmania, where it grows in heath or heathy woodland.
