Flora of New Zealand Series

sneezeweed

Ascending to erect, stout, aromatic, glabrous or very rarely sparsely hairy perennial. Stems terete, much-branched from base and above, (3)-10-60 cm long. Lvs glandular, oblong to oblong-spathulate, acute, narrowed to base but petiole usually indistinct, often slightly amplexicaul, coarsely toothed, (3)-8-18-(25) mm long. Capitula sessile, usually solitary but sometimes appearing paired, (3)-4-8 mm diam.; florets numerous; ♀ florets in (4)-5-9 rows. Achenes (1)-1.3-2 mm long, with faces dark brown and pale brown ribs not extending to apex.

N.: scattered localities throughout; S.: Nelson, Westland, and common in Marlborough and Canterbury.

Australia 1988

Margins of lakes, ponds and streams, often persisting during summer drought, coastal sands and gravels, thin pasture and waste places.

FL Jan-Dec.

C. cunninghamii differs from C. minima in being perennial, generally larger, stouter, more erect and usually in having larger more-toothed lvs, and larger, always sessile heads with more rows of ♀ florets, and in the somewhat longer achenes with less defined ribs near the apex (Fig. 17). Some records of C. orbicularis for N.Z. are in part referable to C. cunninghamii which has been naturalised here at least since 1875. However, the earliest descriptions (e.g., Hooker 1867) possibly refer to C. minima only.