Flora of New Zealand Series

Tufted, scapose perennial, to 15 cm tall; rhizome 0. Lvs simple, broadly ovate to orbicular, shallowly 3-lobed, bluntly toothed or crenate, hairy, 10-15-(25) × 10-18-(25) mm. Fls solitary, sessile, 10-15 mm diam. Scape elongating at fruiting, terete, hairy; hairs wavy. Sepals spreading, hairy. Petals (0)-5, yellow, narrowly obovate; nectary single, c. 1 mm from petal base, covered by a small triangular scale. Receptacle hairy. Achenes 25-35, flattened, glabrous, 2-2.5 mm long; beak curved to hooked, 0.5-1 mm long.

N.: Kaimanawa, Kaweka and Ruahine Ranges; S.: Canterbury, Otago, S. Westland, Fiordland.

Endemic.

Alpine grassland and herbfield, (1050)-1400-1800 m in North Id, 500-1850 m in South Id.

The type specimen of R. royi (CHR) has no petals but otherwise is no different from most other collections. Some scapose forms of the related R. foliosus may be confused with this sp. but these usually have more deeply divided lvs (to 1/2 way or more) and a narrowly rounded sinus between the lobes. The sessile fls and nectary 1 mm from the petal base distinguish R. royi from R. multiscapus.