Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: Tongariro, Bidwill, Colenso. Type: K, 954 Colenso.

Main stems slender to rather stout, creeping and rooting, sts subterranean, up to c. 3 dm. long; branchlets ascending, up to c. 5 cm. long, glab. to pilose; lvs up to 3 cm. long, 7-13-foliolate; upper lflts c. 3 mm. long, rarely more, deeply crenate-dentate to subserrate, glab. except on veins below and at tips of teeth, suborbicular, subsessile to sessile; terminal lflt with petiolule c. 1 mm. long; stipules linear. Scapes pilose, up to 2 cm. long, bracts absent or minute. Heads c. 2.5 cm. diam. including spines, bractlets linear, entire or two-toothed at apex. Cupules glab., c. 1·5 mm. long, turbinate, angles thickened. Spines unarmed, up to 1 cm. long, bright to purplish red. Sepals ovate, dull green. Stamens 2, anthers white. Styles 2, fimbriate on one side. Achenes 2, seldom 1 only developed.

DIST.: N. Grassland, riverbed and herbfield in Volcanic Plateau district. Also on Ruahine Mountains in grassland at c. 750 m.