Herbs, sometimes shrubs, rarely trees; mostly autotrophic, less often hemiparasitic or parasitic. Stipules absent. Leaves alternate, opposite, whorled, or basally opposite and apically alternate, simple or sometimes pinnately dissected. Inflorescences racemes, spikes, or thyrsoid panicles, determinate or indeterminate, or flowers solitary. Flowers perfect, usually zygomorphic, rarely actinomorphic. Calyx often persistent, (2-) 4- or 5-lobed or -parted, variously connate. Corolla sympetalous; limb (3 or) 4- or 5-lobed, often 2-lipped. Stamens mostly 4, didynamous, sometimes 1 or 2 staminodes present, less often 2 or 5 stamens; anther locules 1 or 2, equal or subequal, free or confluent. Nectary often present at base of ovary, ringlike, cupular, or reduced to a gland. Ovary superior, 2-loculed, rarely apically 1-loculed; ovules numerous, rarely 2 per locule, on axile placentas, anatropous or hemitropous. Style simple; stigma capitate, 2-lobed, or 2-lamellate. Fruit a capsule, septicidal, loculicidal, or septifragal, sometimes opening by pores or irregularly dehiscent, rarely a berry. Seeds minute or rarely conspicuous, sometimes winged; testa often reticulate; hilum lateral or ventral; endosperm fleshy or absent; embryo straight or curved.
About 220 genera and 4500 species: cosmopolitan; 61 genera (seven endemic) and 681 species (415 endemic) throughout China but with a greater concentration in SW China.[1]
There are approximately 796 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: H. hectori coarctata · H. hectori demissa · H. hectori laingii · H. hectori subsimilis · H. hectori subulata · H. imbricata poppelwellii · H. lycopodioides patula · H. pimeleoides faucicola · H. pubescens rehuarum · H. 'Alicia Amherst' (Hebe) · H. 'Amanda Cook' · H. 'Amethyst' · H. 'Amy' (Hebe) · H. 'Andersonii Variegata' (Variegated Hebe) · H. 'Anita' · H. 'Anne Pimm' · H. 'Aoira' · H. 'April Joy' · H. 'Arthur' · H. 'Autumn Beauty' · H. 'Autumn Blue' · H. 'Autumn Blush' · H. 'Autumn Glory' (Hebe) · H. 'Autumn Joy' · H. 'Autumn Queen' · H. 'Avalon' · H. 'Azurea' · H. 'Azurens' · H. 'Baby Blush' · H. 'Baby Marie' · H. 'Balfouriana' · H. 'Barnettii' · H. 'Beatrice' · H. 'Beverley Hills' · H. 'Bicolor Wand' · H. 'Black Beauty' · H. 'Blonde' · H. 'Blue Clouds' · H. 'Blue Diamond' · H. 'Blue Elf' (Hebe) · H. 'Blue Gem' · H. 'Blue Shamrock' · H. 'Blue Star' · H. 'Blue Streak' · H. 'Blue Wand' · H. 'Bluebell' · H. 'Blush Wand' · H. 'Boscawenii' · H. 'Bouquet' · H. 'Bowles' Hybrid' · H. 'Bowles' Variety' · H. 'Bracken Hill' · H. 'Bracken Hills' · H. 'Brian Kessell' · H. 'Brill Blue' (Hebe) · H. 'Brockiei' · H. 'Bronzy Baby' · H. 'Buccleugh' · H. 'C.P. Raffill' · H. 'Caledonia' (Hebe) · H. 'Candy' · H. 'Carl Teschner' · H. 'Carnea Tricolor' · H. 'Carnea Variegata' · H. 'Carnea' · H. 'Cassinioides' · H. 'Celine' · H. 'Chalk's Buchananii' · H. 'Champagne' · H. 'Champion' · H. 'Champseiont' · H. 'Charming White' · H. 'Christabel' · H. 'Christensenii' · H. 'Cilsouth' · H. 'Clear Skies' (Hebe) · H. 'Colwall Blue' · H. 'Colwall' · H. 'Combe Royal' · H. 'Conwy Knight' · H. 'Coral Blue' · H. 'Coral Pink' · H. 'County Park' · H. 'Craig Park' · H. 'Cranleighensis' · H. 'Crawii' · H. 'Cressit' · H. 'Croftway Emberglow' · H. 'Cupins' · H. 'David Hughes' · H. 'Dazzler' · H. 'Deans Fya' · H. 'Debbie' · H. 'Denise' · H. 'Diamond' · H. 'Diana' · H. 'Dianne' · H. 'Dorothy Peach' · H. 'Douglasii' · H. 'E.A. Bowles'
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