Hebe speciosa
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Hebe speciosa | ||||||||||||||
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Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
Hebe speciosa (A.Cunn) J.C.Andersen |
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Synonyms | ||||||||||||||
Veronica speciosa |
Hebe speciosa is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names New Zealand hebe, showy hebe, and showy-speedwell. It is native to New Zealand but it can be found in other parts of the world where it is grown as an ornamental for its showy flowers. This hebe is a shrub reaching heights between one and two meters. Its evergreen leaves are dark green, shiny, and quite thick, usually measuring 2 to 5 centimeters long. The inflorescence is up to 8 centimeters long and densely packed with pale pink to bright magenta flowers. Each flower is just under a centimeter wide and has a short throat spreading into a four-lobed corolla. Two very long stamens protrude from the throat of each flower, giving the inflorescence a whiskery look. The fruit is a capsule containing flat, smooth seeds.