Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: "Kaikoura Mountains, south of Nelson; alt. about 2-4000 feet." Type: K, Macdonald. "Dr. Munro, coll. by Mr. McRae's shepherd." There are 5 pieces.

Stock hard, woody, emitting several to many stout stems, woody at base, up to ± 4 mm. diam., up to 40 cm. long, reddish to dark purple, straggling; branchlets ± 10 cm. long, crowded, often almost black, stout, glab. Lvs crowded, opp. even in floral region, on slender petioles up to 15 mm. long. Lamina coriac., about elliptic-lanceolate to ovate-oblong, acute or subacute, glossy, ± reddish, (12)-20-(25) × 6-10 mm.; margins remotely denticulate, except towards base, sts almost entire. Fls almost or quite sessile, (6)-10 mm. diam.; calyx 3-5 mm. long, lobes lanceolate, acute to acuminate, reddish purple; petals white or pale rose, cleft to halfway or more, 6-9 mm. long. Capsules slender to rather stout, glab., (20)-25-30-(40) mm. long; peduncles rather stout to slender, 5-10 mm. long. Seeds smooth, minutely reticulate.

DIST.: S. Lower montane to subalpine rocky places, scree margins from lat. 41° to 43°.

FL.- FT. 11-3.