synonym
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...
''Hebe stricta'', commonly called koromiko, is a
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
in the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Plantaginaceae
Plantaginaceae, the plantain family or veronica family, is a large, diverse family (biology), family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales that includes common flowers such as Antirrhinum, snapdragon and Digitalis, foxglove. It is unrelated ...
, which is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to New Zealand.
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.
''Veronica stricta'' is the most commonly referred to plant that is called koromiko.
Taxonomy
Varieties
,
Plants of the World Online
Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
History
Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...
accepted four varieties:
* ''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.
Uses
Koromiko is a commonly used plant in traditional Māorirongoā medicine, by chewing or boiling leaf buds, or applied in balms. 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. During the early European colonial era, koromiko leaves or extract was sold under names such as Monk's Herbal Extract as an antidiarrheal remedy.
Other traditional uses included lining hāngī to impart a flavour to cooked meat, and using the twigs for fires to cook moa.
Koromiko is a pioneer plant useful to plant as a nurse crop for revegetation planting.