Veronica stricta

Veronica stricta, synonym Hebe stricta,^[1] commonly called koromiko, is a flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae, which is endemic to New Zealand.

Koromiko
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Plantaginaceae
Genus:	Veronica
Section:	Veronica sect. Hebe
Species:	V. stricta
Binomial name
Veronica stricta Banks & Sol. ex Benth.
Synonyms
Of the species:[1] Hebe salicifolia var. stricta (Banks & Sol. ex Benth.) Cockayne & Allan Hebe stricta (Banks & Sol. ex Benth.) L.B.Moore Veronica salicifolia var. stricta (Banks & Sol. ex Benth.) Hook.f. Of V. stricta var. stricta:[2] Hebe cookiana (Colenso) Cockayne & Allan Hebe parkinsoniana (Colenso) Cockayne Hebe salicifolia var. atkinsonii (Cockayne) Cockayne & Allan Hebe salicifolia var. longiracemosa (Cockayne) Cockayne & Allan Hebe stricta var. atkinsonii (Cockayne) L.B.Moore Veronica cookiana Colenso Veronica lindleyana Paxton Veronica parkinsoniana Colenso Veronica salicifolia var. atkinsonii Cockayne Veronica salicifolia var. longiracemosa Cockayne

Koromiko is a hebe found throughout the Mainland New Zealand, with long pale green leaves and tiny white flowers in summer formed into a dense inflorescence longer than the leaves. It is a hardy plant and does not tolerate shade. It prefers full sun and open habitats on edge of bush and wetlands as it tolerates wet areas.^{[citation needed]}

Veronica stricta is the most commonly referred to plant that is called koromiko.^[3]

Taxonomy

Varieties

As of October 2022^[update], Plants of the World Online accepted four varieties:^[1]

• Veronica stricta var. egmontiana (L.B.Moore) Garn.-Jones – North Island
• Veronica stricta var. lata (L.B.Moore) Garn.-Jones – North Island
• Veronica stricta var. macroura (Hook.f. ex Benth.) Garn.-Jones – North Island
• Veronica stricta var. stricta – North and South Island

Names

The plant is typically referred to as koromiko in Māori. Other regional names include kōkoromiko, koromuka, kōkoromuka and korohiko.^[3]

Uses

Koromiko is a commonly used plant in traditional Māori rongoā medicine, by chewing or boiling leaf buds, or applied in balms.^[3] A sticky substance that is extruded from young leaf buds was traditionally mixed with blue pollen of Fuchsia excorticata for a form of make-up.^[3] During the early European colonial era, koromiko leaves or extract was sold under names such as Monk's Herbal Extract as an antidiarrheal remedy.^[3]

Other traditional uses included lining hāngī to impart a flavour to cooked meat, and using the twigs for fires to cook moa.^[3]

Koromiko is a pioneer plant useful to plant as a nurse crop for revegetation planting.^{[citation needed]}