Flora of New Zealand Series

Tufted perennial, to 30-(40) cm tall; rhizome 0. Stems erect, with hairs spreading below, appressed above. Basal lvs usually pinnate, rarely 3-foliolate or 3-lobed, hairy; leaflets stalked, ovate or obovate, entire or shallowly to deeply 3-lobed, toothed, very variable in size, 1-5 cm diam. Cauline lvs similar, smaller, often merely 3-lobed; lobes narrower. Fls 3 or more per stem, 8-15 mm diam. Pedicels terete to sulcate, up to 20 cm long, with appressed hairs. Sepals reflexed at flowering, hairy. Petals 5, yellow, narrow-oblong to narrow-obovate; nectary single, c. 0.5 mm from petal base, covered by a small oblong scale. Receptacle hairy. Achenes 40-80-(100), in ovoid heads, small and pale, moderately flattened, glabrous; body 1.5-2 mm long; beak often dark, hooked, 0.7-1 mm.

N.; S.; St.; Ch., A.: throughout.

Endemic.

Lowland to subalpine in a range of open to shaded habitats.

R. reflexus is most similar to R. membranifolius; distinguishing characters are given under R. membranifolius. R. reflexus is readily distinguished from R. multiscapus by its 3-foliolate to pinnate lvs, leafy stems, the presence of at least 2 fls per stem, reflexed sepals, smaller petals with narrower nectary scales and smaller, more numerous and much paler achenes.

R. reflexus was previously known in N.Z. by the illegitimate name R. hirtus DC.