Flora of New Zealand Series

Robust perennial herb 20-140 cm tall, in autumn producing short-stalked leafy rosettes near base of plant; stems densely pilose with raised lines decurrent from margins of petioles. Lvs opposite below, alternate in upper 1/2, subsessile, dark green, densely covered with long, erect hairs above and below, 3-12 × 1-3.5 cm, narrowly lanceolate to narrowly ovate, denticulate; base rounded or truncate; apex acute. Infl. erect, the hairs mainly glandular. Fls erect. Ovary 1.2-4 cm long, with dense bands of long hairs and erect and shorter glandular hairs, rarely glabrate. Floral tube 1-1.9 mm deep, with a conspicuous ring of long hairs inside. Sepals (2)-3-6 × 1-2 mm, with glandular hairs, keeled. Petals usually rose-purple, rarely white, 3-9 × 2.7-4.8 mm. Filaments of the longer stamens 1.8-3.9 mm long. Style 2.2-4.7 mm long, glabrous, white, sometimes rose-purple towards base; stigma deeply 4-lobed, the lobes 1-1.8 mm long. Capsule with mixed long erect and shorter glandular hairs, rarely subglabrous, 3.5-7 cm long; fruiting pedicel 0.8-1.7 cm long. Seeds 0.9-1 × 0.4-0.5 mm, obovoid, coarsely papillose.

N.: E. of Lake Waikaremoana, Poverty Bay, and in the vicinity of Hastings.

Eurasia, N. Africa, Macaronesia 1976

Marshes, often with Juncus and Typha.

FL Dec-Feb.

This conspicuous willow-herb is readily distinguished from all other spp. in mainland N.Z. by its deeply 4-lobed stigma and long, spreading hairs. It was not collected until 1967 and is thus probably a recent introduction. It may now be widespread throughout moist, fertile farming country of Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay.