Flora of New Zealand Series

Small annual to short-lived perennial herb forming small, dense, moss-like mats; stems filiform, rooting at lower nodes, usually not or scarcely ascending towards tips, sometimes ascending 3-7-(10) mm high (especially in shade), much-branched. Lvs connate at base, 1-2-(3.5) × 0.6-1 mm, c. 0.5-0.6 mm thick, elliptic-lanceolate to elliptic-ovate, flat above, convex below; apex obtuse to subacute. Fls solitary in lf axils, not star-like, 4-merous, 1-1.3 mm diam.; pedicels < 1 mm long at anthesis, elongating to c. 3 mm at fruiting. Calyx lobes 0.7-1 × c. 0.4 mm, ovate-lanceolate, ovate-elliptic, or broadly ovate, acute or subacute. Petals 0.6-0.9 × c. 0.3 mm, ± triangular- ovate, greenish white towards base, otherwise red, acuminate, slightly < to slightly > calyx. Scales c. 0.1 mm long, very narrowly spathulate or clavate. Follicles smooth. Seed 0.3-0.35 mm long.

N.: from near Cape Egmont to near Manaia (Taranaki).

Endemic.

Coastal short herb field.

FL Nov-Mar.

C. manaia is closely related to C. mataikona but is distinguished by its moss-like habit with shorter stems and smaller seeds. Also, although C. mataikona grows in the same area of Taranaki as C. manaia, their habitats are always different.