Rather laxly branched spreading shrub up to c. 5 m. tall, varying in habit according to exposure; branches slender, bark black; branchlets pubescent, bark brownish. Lvs coriac., flat, patent; petioles obsolete. Lamina glab., green above, paler below; linear to narrow-lanceolate or linear-oblong, narrowed to base; ± 12-25 × 2-4 mm.; nerves 3-7, margins minutely ciliolate, denticulate; acute to acuminate, subpungent, rarely obtuse. Infl. of 6-12-fld axillary and terminal drooping racemes or spikes ± 1-3 cm. long. Bracts obtuse, ciliolate, appressed. Fls 3-4 mm. long; calyx ciliolate, lobes oblong to ovate-triangular, c. 2 mm. long. Corolla greenish white, tube slightly > calyx; lobes ovate-triangular acute to obtuse, ± hirsute to subglab. on upper surface. Fr. oblong in outline, 2-4 mm. long, red or rarely whitish; locules 2'-3.

DIST.: Three Kings, N., S. Coastal to lower montane shrubland, light forest, rocky places from near North Cape to c. lat. 44º. Mingimingi.

Type: There is a Forster specimen at K.

Juvenile plants have lvs 4-6 cm. × 6-10 mm., apiculate, lanceolate to oblanceolate to narrow. Elliptic--all forms may appear on a single plant. Cockayne (N.Z. Plants and their Story, ed. 2, 1919, 199-201) describes and illustrates two distinct juvenile forms: "Yet, in the Auckland Botanical District the shrub passes through a distinct juvenile form with leaves much broader than those of the adult . . . a form, too which persists for a number of years. Farther south both juvenile and adult have the narrow leaves."

Stchegleev (loc. cit.) based his L. brevibarbis on specimens collected. "Prope Wellington; Ralph No. 11". His diagnosis includes: "L. ramulis pubescenti-tomentosis; foliis . . . stellatopubentibus . . . utrinque glaucis viridibus . . . spicis in apice ramulorum solitariis binisve sub-elongatis . . . bracteis calyce plus duplo brevioribus . . . calycibus obtusis glabris subcoloratis . . . floribus parvis et. limbo breviter limbo breviter et laxe barbato." I have not seen specimens.

Colenso (T.N.Z.I. 20, 1898, 198) described his Leucopogon heterophyllus from specimens collected "'On the arid lava flow, among scoria, etc., altitude, 3,000 to 4,000 feet ' western slopes of Mount Tongariro . . . 1897; Mr. H. Hill." His description includes: "Plants low, shrubby diffuse, spreading, much branched; branches slender, erect, 4-8 inches high, leafy; young ones pubescent. Leaves imbricate, small, 1-11/2 lines long, of various shapes and sizes-oblong, narrow-oblong, ovate, and elliptic; tips thickened and very obtuse . . . Flowers few (seen), small, terminal, solitary, sessile . . . Corolla tubular, 2 lines long, red, glabrous on the outside; lobes . . . densely bearded within with white wool . . . Drupe globular . . . 2 lines diameter, dark-pink-red". The status remains uncertain.